‘He had the quality to connect with masses’

Iremember having met him a night before the polling in his Nainital LS constituency (1991) which also had the Bahedi Assembly segment of district Bareilly.

We had gone to check the border checkposts and at a place called Bahjoi on Moradabad-Badaun border and we happened to stop an ambassador car at the checkpost.The person sitting next to the driver told us that the passenger at the back seat was ND Tewari. It was nearly midnight and he was fast asleep.We wanted to meet him so requested his helper to wake him up.When he got up, we greeted him. He was surprised to see us there.We told him that we were checking the border checkposts as a precaution to ensure free and fair poll in our district (Moradabad). He asked where we were at that point of time.I told him it was a place near Ch and au si. Suddenly he perked up hearing the name Chandausi and started enquring about the private sugar mill coming up there, its installed capacity, the cane area and the likely date of its commissioning. That was ND Tewari, the development man who was not for nothing called Vikas Purush.

Sometimes, Te wariji used to convey his intentions in an indirect way. I remember an instance when he pretended not to understand what was being explained to him and would ask the same question in so many different ways. Diasater Management and Mitigation Centre (DMMC) was initially constituted with the Chief Minister as the Chairman of its Governing Body but it was difficult to get time from him to chair its meetings. We felt that the Chief Secretary should chair the Governing Body. The proposal was duly formulated and was submitted to the CM who was also the Minister for Disaster Management. He wrote ‘Discuss ‘ on the file. I took the file to him and explained the rationale of the proposal to him. He asked me a totally unrelated question and parried what was being explained to him. Again he asked me something different from what was required to be discussed. But I persisted on explaining the issue to him and placed the file before him. He seemed reluctant to approve the proposal. I did not give up and wrote on the file ,”Discussed with the Hon.CM. Submitted again for approval”.

I then rose from my seat for leaving.He asked me to wait and after giving me a quizzical look approved the proposal. This was his way of tiring us out and testing the strength of our conviction in the proposal. This was an interesting experience for me.

That was him, the most accessible and understanding Chief Minister we ever had. Today as we bid final adieu to Tewariji, I remember our last but one meeting in 2015 at Lucknow. We had gone there for the Annual General Meeting of our Rung Kalyan Sanstha and had invited Tewariji as the chief guest.

The venue was the lawns of UK Bhawan at Gomti Nagar. He was then living in his Mall Avenue residence. Our representatives had gone to escort him to the function venue where he was given a rousing reception and was quite overwhelmed by the same. When his turn came to speak he was barely able to stand up, so we requested him to speak while sitting. He signaled to his helper to read out the written speech on his behalf. As the speech was coming to the end, Tewariji could not restrain himself and started singing the iconic Kumaoni song “Bedu Pako Barahmas, Naren Kafal Pako Chait Meri Chhaila”. The audience joined in and there were some impromptu dances.

That was Tewariji, with the never say die spirit and with an uncanny quality to connect with the masses. Goodbye Panditji, the immortal Vikas Purush. May your soul rest in eternal peace.