Mazi Vatachal

MAZI VATCHAL: METCALFE HOUSE TE RAJBHAVAN: (1952-1989):THE EX-ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER AND THE EX-GOVERNOR OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH, MR. RAM PRADHAN, PORTRAYS HIS CAREER FOR THE READERS. THIS IS AN ACCOUNT OF HIS JOURNEY THROUGHOUT. BORN IN DADAR, MUMBAI, ON 27TH JUNE 1928, MR. PRADHAN HAD A COMFORTABLE CHILDHOOD IN MUMBAI. HIS FATHER WAS A CLERK IN MILITARY ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT. HIS MOTHER WAS FROM NAGOTHANE. LATER, HIS FATHER WAS PROMOTED AS A SUPERINTENDENT AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO DELHI. THEREAFTER, THE FATHER WAS TRANSFERRED TO PUNE AS AN ASSISTANT ACCOUNT GENERAL. RAM'S SCHOOLING WAS COMPLETED IN NEW ENGLISH SCHOOL. HE SOUGHT DEGREE IN ARTS WITH MATHS AS HIS SPECIALIZATION FROM THE FERGUSSON COLLEGE. WITH NEW DREAMS AND AIMS, HE JOINED MUMBAI UNIVERSITY. HE ENROLLED FOR M.A., STATISTICS. MEANWHILE, HIS MOTHER BECAME SERIOUS AND PASSED AWAY. HE HAD TO LIVE HIS EDUCATION HALF WAY. HE JOINED GOKHALE INSTITUTION FOR POLITICAL SCIENCE AND ECONOMICS. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE NATIONAL SAMPLE SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE SAME. MEANWHILE, HE DECIDED TO APPEAR FOR THE COMPETITIVE EXAMS. AS HE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE I. C. S. HE WAS ADMITTED TO THE METCALFE HOUSE. THERE WAS NO TURNING BACK NOW. THIS BOOK REVEALS HIS JOURNEY. AS A PART OF TRAINING, MANY EMINENT PERSONALITIES WOULD OFTEN VISIT THE I. C. S. TRAINEE OFFICERS. THE LECTURES DELIVERED BY THEM WERE TREASURE HOUSES OF WISDOM. VISITING NEARBY VILLAGES AND PLACES HELPED THE TRAINEES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DAY-TO-DAY LIFE OF CIVILIANS AND THE CHALLENGES AND PROBLEMS ACCOMPANIED. APART FROM THIS, THERE WERE MANY THINGS LEARNT AND UNDERSTOOD DURING THIS PERIOD. MR. PRADHAN ELABORATES THEM FOR THE READERS. A STAY WITH THE MILITARY UNITS WAS QUITE MEMORABLE FOR HIM. IT WAS ALSO A PART OF THE TRAINING. HIS LIFE WAS ONCE AT STAKE DURING THIS TRAINING. HE ROAMED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY DURING THIS TRAINING. AT THE END OF IT, HE PARTICIPATED IN THE FLAG HOISTING CEREMONY ON 15TH AUGUST AND THE PARADE ON 26TH JANUARY. THIS PRESENTED HIM WITH THE OPPORTUNITY OF BEING IN THE COMPANY OF MILITARY OFFICERS FROM NAVY, ARMY AND AIR FORCE AS WELL. HE ALSO TOOK THE DECISION OF TYING THE KNOT WITH THE GADKARI'S DAUGHTER. THIS MEMOIR INCLUDES SOME LETTERS WRITTEN BY HIM TO HIS FATHER AND BROTHERS. HIS FIRST POSTING WAS IN MUMBAI WHERE HE JOINED THE STATE GOVERNMENT. HE MET MANY EMINENT PERSONALITIES, LEADERS AND HIGH-RANKING OFFICERS. LATER, HE TOOK CHARGE AT AHMEDABAD AS THE COLLECTOR. THE VARIOUS EXPERIENCE GIVE US A GLIMPSE OF HIS TENURE THERE. AT EVERY PLACE THAT HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO, HE WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH GOOD RELATIONS AND GAIN RESPECT. HE WAS ABLE TO TRAVEL TO THE INTERIOR PARTS WHERE HIS WIFE ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED HIM. LIFE WAS ENRICHED WITH MORE EXPERIENCES. ' : ( - )' . . ...