Governor with a view

Sushil Kumar Shinde should be a troubled man. The chief minister is in growing danger of being eclipsed on the public stage by the ceaseless dynamism of the governor. Maharashtra certainly hasn8217;t seen anything like this before. On an average day, Mohammed Fazal, 14th governor of the state, could write a letter to the chief minister 8212; he has sent over 300 in two years. He could advise the government on any one among a wide range of issues and it could be in full public view 8212; last heard, he expressed himself in favour of the legal registration of brothels. On a special day, he could even throw open the gates of the 150 year old Raj Bhavan for motley film crews to break the coconut and conduct a mahurat. For a more detailed account of the governor8217;s initiatives, you can log on to http://rajbhavan.maharashtra.gov.in and go to the link LifeRaj Bhavan.

Maharashtra8217;s governor is a man of many enthusiasms and he is evidently determined not to be coy about it. But if he were to permit himself just a moment of pause, he may find that all the breathless activity in the Raj Bhavan is causing some serious worries in other quarters. It is reviving questions about the tipping point at which gubernatorial activism becomes an act of institutional overreach. Questions, also, about the dignity of the governor8217;s office and the danger of it being compromised in the public eye. Questions about the perils of populism in the Raj Bhavan.

Far too much of the heated public conversation recently on governors has focused on their appointment and in particular the consideration given to their ideological 8216;8216;qualifications8217;8217;. Indeed, that is an important issue. We must make the norms that govern appointments and removals less arbitrary. But in times when non-elective and non-accountable offices are increasingly rushing in to fill the space being vacated by an often weak and receding executive authority, we must scrutinise the functioning of the governor more closely. The lines may need to be drawn more firmly. Maharashtra8217;s zealous governor, Mohammed Fazal, for instance, may already have stepped over some of them.