HP governor sheds colonial ‘His Excellency’ tag
In a departure from the British-era practice, Himachal governor Acharya Devvrat has directed the state government to discontinue prefixing the phrase “His Excellency” or “Mahamhim” as a greeting while addressing him.
Devvrat said “honourable” should be prefixed to his name instead of “His Excellency” and “The Governor” should be used on ceremonial occasions. In official documents and other communications, he should be addressed as “Governor ji”, according to a release issued by the Raj Bhawan.
In 2012, then President Pranab Mukherjee had introduced a new protocol for greeting the constitutional head. He had directed that the salutation of “His Excellency” should be replaced with “Honourable President” and “Honourable Governor”.
Devvrat took charge as the Himachal governor on August 12, 2015. After assuming office, he made many changes in the Raj Bhawan. In his initial decision, he ordered closure of the British-time bar that was housed in the Raj Bhawan.
Devvrat, who is considered close to yoga guru Ramdev, also got a “yagyashala” (an enclosure within which a ritual sacrifice with a specific objective is performed) constructed at the Raj Bhawan.
The governor, who is also the chancellor of government-run universities, had discontinued the use of colonial black gowns in convocations two years ago. Instead, he accentuated the use of traditional Himachali dress.