Out on the streets, it’s a universal belief that all politicians, and especially ministers, are greedy and grabbing: lacking basic humanity, they dole out patronage but will give nothing unless they get something in return. Here’s one story — from the heart of power — that is more about the heart than power. Jaywanti Mehta is both a politician — a three-time BJP MP from Mumbai — and a Union minister, the junior in the Power ministry. But there’s another side to her: she’s also parent, guardian and nursemaid to her private secretary, who’s recently been diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer.Her reward: ‘‘His family have told me, ‘This is your own son, you’ve given him a second birth’. That’s all the reward I need.’’When Mehta heard that her PS, 40-year-old IAS officer Balakrushna Panigrahi, was diagnosed with cancer, she had him shifted to her official New Delhi residence so that he wouldn’t have to climb the two flights of stairs to reach his own apartment.Since then, not only has the minister been personally looking after her PS, she even has a stream of pandits coming in for a dose of ‘‘cosmic healing’’. ‘‘Half the battle that Panigrahi is fighting against his disease can be won just by helping him keep a positive attitude,’’ Mehta believes.‘‘His family — parents, wife, brothers and in-laws — are also here to take care of him but I like to keep a close watch on his diet and medication. Panigrahi has been with me since I took charge as a minister, this is the least I can do,’’ she says. Coincidentally, Mehta — whose family lives in Mumbai’s Worli area — has a son born in 1962, the same year as Panigrahi. The cancer broke out without warning. ‘‘We returned from a foreign tour on June 30 and Panigrahi took the next few days off, complaining of severe acidity. When the prescribed antacids had little effect, I fixed up an appointment for him at AIIMS,’’ Mehta says.An endoscopy showed Panigrahi was suffering from cancer of the stomach, which had already spread quite far. ‘The doctors said there was a hole in the stomach and that an operation was needed urgently,’ says Panigrahi. ‘‘He called me and I couldn’t believe that a young man could have such a problem,’’ says Mehta. ‘But he had the operation, they removed his stomach and put an inflated balloon in its place.’’The chemotherapy that follows has already started. Panigrahi, too, has resumed work, managing his minister’s official work from home for the moment. ‘‘God willing, he will be back in office soon,’’ says Mehta.She’s not his only well-wisher. The officer has worked under three state leaders: Bansi Lal, Bhajan Lal and Om Prakash Chautala. Each of them have called up to enquire about his welfare. Panigrahi’s response to this is phlegmatic. ‘‘I’m from a poor family. When I was 20 I worked in an NTPC plant because I had to work. God gave me strength to appear for the Civil Services exam and I got into the IAS. If God has brought me this far, he will take care of me in future too.’’ For the moment, Mehta’s doing just fine.
