THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 'Out of sight, out of mind' - the adage may hold true for a few people who assume the post of Governor in a state, far away from one's native. But not in the case of Mizoram Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai.
Pillai, who was the president of BJP's Kerala state unit before his appointment to the gubernatorial post, closely keeps track of the developments and needs of his home state, in addition to his official responsibilities. Pillai mobilised Rs 10 lakh from business groups and donated to the Mizoram Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).
In his personal capacity, Pillai donated Rs 5 lakh to the PM Cares Fund for Covid-19 relief and also Rs 2 lakh to the Kerala CMDRF. But the special effort he took in bringing back to Kerala the body of a Keralite, who died in Nagaland, earned him platitudes. Pillai had to cut through red tape during the lockdown period to get the task done.
"The man was a mason working with the Army's engineering wing. After his family made repeated requests to the Pillai, he immediately contacted his counterpart R N Ravi in Nagaland," said a close aide of the Mizoram Governor.
Owing to suspension of civilian flights, bringing the body from Nagaland to Kerala seemed impossible. After discussions with top military representatives, both the Governors of Nagaland and Mizoram ensured that the body was flown to Kerala in a special military aircraft, which usually entails an expense of around Rs 50 lakh. Besides, the provision of special military aircraft is reserved only for VIPs but the Governors convinced the military establishment to make an exception. Pillai spoke to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the phone and ensured that all arrangements were made to take the body to Chettikulangara for the funeral once it landed at Kochi naval airport, said the aide.
Life-saving intervention
Pillai also intervened in saving the life of a man from Kollam who underwent a kidney surgery a few weeks ago in Kochi and is presently working in Mizoram.
After the supply of a rare post-operative life-saving drug was about to end, the man contacted a Yuva Morcha leader in Kollam who brought the matter to the notice of the Governor.
"The Governor's office made inquiries and found that the nearest place where the drug was available was Guwahati. He got in touch with the state DGP and ensured it was brought via road through an arduous journey that takes 12-hours one side," said the aide.
Pillai regularly reads the internet edition of all newspapers from Kerala and watches television news to keep abreast of developments in the state. An author of over 110 books, Pillai is also penning a number of poems since his appointment to the Governor's post. The anthology of poems is slated for release soon.