NEW DELHI: In his quest to reach out to the last man in society as an administrator, Dr Rehan Raza travelled through the picturesque and remote islets of the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands.
During his posting in the union territory, comprising 572 islands, he realised that the plethora of information, he had acquired, would be of immense value to scholars, academicians, strategic experts, bureaucrats and also tourist visiting the islands.
So, he decided to compile his experiences in a book form.
In ‘The Great Nicobar Island: India’s Southern Fortune’, Raza, an officer of the Indian Civil Services, explained the potential of tourism sites of Andaman islands, particularly in Great Nicobar Island, and has narrated the ordeals of Islanders, who survived tsunami, and the efforts made by the administration in the aftermath.
“The vision of administration, to reach the last man in society, has inspired me to write this book. In this endeavour, I travelled through the different distantly located islands and was mesmerized by their picturesque beauty including scenic beaches and the exotic flora and fauna. I interacted with the people of the islands to learn about their culture and tradition.
The heart-rendering narratives of the tsunami survivors and the zeal with which they overcame the challenges inspired me,” said Raza. Raza is a 2012 batch Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) officer. Presently, he is serving as Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Saraswati Vihar in the national capital.
His book, published by Bloomsbury Publishing India, was released last week by Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Admiral DK Joshi (retired) during a ceremony in Port Blair in the presence of government officials. Raza further added, “The Great Nicobar Island, with all its beauty and wealth channelised in the right direction, can become ‘India’s Southern Fortune’.”