Interview with MP Chief Minister

For me work is worship: Shivraj Singh Chauhan

Sometime back, the Hindi Daily Nayee Duniya published a wide-ranging interview with the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan where he dwelt at length on his priorities for development of the State and how he will manage things. Here are some important excepts of the interview.

You have a long experience in organisation but you have been crowned with power for the first time. What difference do you discern between these two duties?

I feel no difference because for me work is worship. I was fully immersed in organisational work and I am doing the present work with full devotion. Never for a day even did I feel that I had become a Chief Minister or I do not possess administrative experience. I find myself at ease performing my present duties with the same vigour as I did performing the organisational work. I do not come across any problem.

In organisation, you have a different way of dealing with karyakartas. But while in power there are chances of the party worker getting ignored. In organisation you have been in direct contact with them and therefore, they have very high expectations from you. How do you propose to come up to their expectations?

Our goal is very clear — no self interest, no attachment, no malevolence; no prejudice. My goal in totality is development of the state and welfare of the people. With sincerity of purpose we are relentlessly working to realise this goal. I feel motivated by the ideals of the organisation. Our organisation and ideology work on these lines and therefore it is necessary that you be in direct communication with the party workers. In the organisation we discuss with party workers, what we have to do and what not to do. How should we involve the organisation in development of the people? We deeply ponder over these issues. I feel that BJP workers overlook their selfish interests and are more dedicated towards the welfare of the nation and society. We will win the faith of both the people and karyakartas.

During the last two years complaints of neglect of party workers as also ignoring of Party MPs and MLAs have come to the fore. What do you say?

Many a times it is because of the communication gap. But I feel by maintaining a constant flow of communication with MLAs, MPs and workers, the feeling of neglect gets obliterated as a matter of course.

People’s representatives, MPs or MLAs wish to have their own favourites posted in the administration of their distirict or in their area. This interference in administration is the greatest challenge for any Chief Minister. How do you look at it?

For this, two things have to be done. One, the administration must understand that when a people’s representative approaches them, he comes not in his personal capacity but as a representative of the feelings of lakhs of people. Therefore he must be extended full respect, honour and courtesy. Secondly, he only puts forward people’s demands and, therefore, every effort needs to be made sincerely to fulfil people’s demands. Some officers suffer from the tendency to put off or their attitude is negative. This has to be changed. Positive attitude, respect for people’s representatives and priority for public work are vital in democracy. If an administrstion runs on these lines, there will be no room for dissatisfaction.

Several times people’s representatives complain about the misbehviour by bureaucracy. How will you tackle this problem?

In Shivraj Singh’s government no Collector or SP is expected to misbehave or to ignore any MP or MLA. This will never be tolerated. Whichever officer does it, will have to be ready to face the consequences. Officers will have to make a prompt and sincere effort to solve the problems raised by the representatives. Our government will not tolerate dictatorial work-culture of the bureaucracy. Reasons are obvious. First, a public representative can understand the problems of people more deeply than an administrative officer. Secondly, public representatives are more accessible to the people who have voted for them. People can easily meet their leaders anywhere while they don’t gather courage to meet the officers like Collector or S.P. in their chambers. Therefore, representatives of the people are more sympathetic to the people than the officers. Public representatives are indebted to the people for their support. Therefore, my instructions are strict that whatever a public representative says must be heard with all seriousness. At the same time, we are also trying to make the public representatives to understand their limits also.

You have a rural background but in politics the five-star culture is on the rise. A man with his roots in the village is at the top today. How do you feel in the twilight of power, atmosphere of corruption and promotion of self-interests? Because of this, do you suffer from any fear or does this situation bother your mind?

No. It does not bother me because I am clear that corruption flows down from above and never from below to the top. If it has to stop, it will have to be stopped from higher level and not from lower level. It cannot be that people at higher level should be free to do anything but preach to persons at the lower level to be honest. Therefore I have tried myself to ensure that the atmosphere around me is clear, unpolluted and corruption free. So I pondered a lot before deciding as to who should be in Chief Minister’s secretariat and who should not. This also sent out a clear message about CM’s thinking. Secondly, corruption has spread in every section of society like cancer. Nobody can claim to end it in one day. Corruption has become an established system in departments. I accept this reality in all honesty and sincerity. In combating corruption many vested interests are involved. Therefore we have to exhibit a strong will power of ours to eradicate it. As my thinking and my will power is strong, therefore, I think things could imporove down to the lowest level. I myself, my council of ministers and my government will go the whole hog in this direction. We will take the administration into confidence. If necessary, they will be punished too. Whosoever commits a crime will not be spared. Those who are honest will be appreciated. During the last few years a strange phenomenon developed in the State in which the honest have not been recognised and the vile were not punished. We will ensure that the honest are made to feel proud of their honesty.

What will be your five main priorities?

We are very serious about our priorities. Road, electricity and water are three top priorities while the other two are education and health. These all are interlinked. Education helps to form the next generation. To sum up, if a person is well-educated and cultured then he proves to be a useful citizen of country and society. Health is also important. You know, “pahala sukh nirogi kaya” is a famous quote here. Rural areas lack health related amenities. Therefore it should be established there.

Politics and elections are turning out to be costly affairs. A Chief Minister has to manage all these things. How will you attune your nature to all this?

You know, no work concerning the public can be successful without the active support of the people. You have to run a political organisation for which money is needed and you have to arrange it. But if you do this by adopting corrupt means, I don’t support it. You have to go to the people and approach the public to raise party funds. You have to go to people in a group and account for each penny so collected. When we were not in power, then also we used the same method to run our party. From the days of Jana Sangh the party is being run in the same fashion. Saintly politicians like Thakreji had evolved such a system. We are able to generate funds through the Ajiwan Sahyog Nidhi to run the party. At the election time more money is needed and at that time too half the responsibility is borne by the people themselves.

At the Centre, Congress is in power and you are leading a BJP government in the State . How will you strike co-ordination?

I feel the government of India is not a government of the Congress, but of the people of India. In the State, it is the governmernt of people of Madhya Pradesh. People of the State pay all their taxes that go to the Centre. So we must get our share. For this we need not struggle. There is no need to fight for no cause. We will approach the Centre with our development plans and demand money for them. For the cause of State we will go anywhere. We will work with coordination and cooperation. We will wage ideological struggle during election. I will steadfastly stand by my party and there will be no let up in it. But in the matter of development I believe taking people along through coordination.

In Madhya Pradesh how will you play your innings?

I am not in favour of politics of suspense. But I will leave no stone unturned to ensure that everything is back on the rails; people get justice; administration is sympathetic to the people; development is moving fast.To achieve achieve overall development of the State at a fast pace, I will hit fours and sixes too. But I wish to assure you that in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP will stabilise its innings to last for long and win too.