Revoir, Raghuram Rajan……

Revoir, Raghuram Rajan……

As Governor Raghuram Rajan silently bids adieu to the Reserve Bank of India where he had for the last three years served, a perceptible pall of gloom seemed to descend upon everyone who has had a love affair with him. Ever since he became the 23rd governor of RBI, for all those people like me who don’t even know what exactly it means to be an RBI governor, this gentleman was nothing short of a superstar of Indian banking and financial industry. Never before in the history has the governor of the Reserve Bank of India been discussed so widely in social media. No other RBI governor has ever received as much adulation and glory as Rajan did during his tenure in RBI. And yes of course, no reserve bank governor has had to face the sort of personal attacks that Rajan has been subjected to, thanks to his flamboyant style and straight forward attitude. No doubt, Mr. Rajan has emboldened the traditionally neglected central banking fraternity, who by and large remained isolated from the public eye. He himself was often vocal and had a candid view on all issues whether it’s economic or political and many times did not quite jibe with what the political bosses would have liked it to be. Known for his bold views, his famous 'My name is Rajan and I do what I do' statement manifestly shows his poor understanding of Indian politics which eventually cost him his second term as RBI governor. He too was convinced that the current dispensation was not inclined to continue with him as the RBI governor for one more term and has decided to go back to academia. 

Reams have been written about him and his action packed tenure as RBI chief, but it seems little is known about what exactly is Dr. Rajan in his personal life. Dr Rajan, in my book, is the epitome of simplicity. I can also authenticate, having the honor of meeting him myself and speaking to him personally, though for a short span of time, he is so charming, tremendously witty and a very humble human being. A little over a year ago, when he paid a short visit to Madurai, I had the rare opportunity to talk to him on a few topics that are obviously in no way related to banking. On his arrival at the Madurai Airport, he was guided to the VIP launch for a cup of tea. I knew, how overworked and over-scheduled he was, so I simply opted not to disturb him and got busy with the security arrangements required to be made for his overnight stay in Madurai. A few minutes later, Dr Rajan stood up to leave the VIP launch with his heavy backpack slung over his shoulder. It was then that the RBI security officer, Capt. Amarnath took me inside the VIP launch and introduced me to Dr. Rajan. To be honest, I had expected nothing more than a casual handshake with a smile, but the moment he learned from Capt Amarnath that I’am an Ex SPG officer, you won’t believe, I found an altogether different person there. What came next was a totally unexpected “wow” moment for me which defied all of my expectations. “Oh that’s great” he said and with that big gleeful smile he added, “You are a big shot then”. For a moment I thought it was a humorous comment said in a satirical way but what happened next proved me wrong. Over the next fifteen minutes or so, we had a long stand up discussion about various aspects of executive protection, perimeter security, emergency reaction teams, their training, weapons etc. He also enquired about my experience in Special Protection Group and asked how I’d managed to pull myself through the stressful life of a personal security officer of the Prime Minister. And I was really surprised by how he was able to name a few automatic weapons that are widely used by commandos in counter insurgency operations worldwide. This gives you an idea about his vast knowledge on an array of subjects and his penchant for information and eagerness to know more. It sounds like he could be interested in having a more extensive security mechanism in RBI in the likes of SPG.

Though our interaction was brief, he left a lasting impression on me that of a nice gentleman and a down to earth person.

I wish him all the best in his future endeavors and hope he will always be available to serve the country when needed. 

Revoir, Raghuram Rajan……


P.S:- 
Politics exists everywhere...In religion, business, education and what not....Sometimes without even realizing it or sometimes deliberately without accepting, we all indulge in politics. ......From choosing the Presidential candidate to transferring a part time sweeper. From taking diplomatic decisions to clearing a TA bill, politics hold the key in every sphere of life. Even births and deaths are not exempted, not even the natural calamities.....! Is there anything in this universe not affected by politics....? Don't know.......may be Sunrise and Sunset.......