VARANASI: S Rajalingam, hailing from Kadayanallur in Tirunelveli district is now at the helm of affairs of Varanasi district, where the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is located. He assumed office as Collector-cum-District Magistrate just 10 days ahead of the commencement of Kashi-Tamil Sangamam (KTS).
Rajalingam terms it a privilege to be the collector of Varanasi, one of the most prestigious constituencies in the country and an ancient knowledge centre of the world. He has been an IAS officer for the past 16 years and Varanasi is the fifth district he is administering as a collector. Before becoming an IAS officer, he served as an IPS officer in various places in Uttar Pradesh.
In an interview with The New Indian Express, Rajalingam shares his views on Kashi-Tamil Sangamam and his experiences in Uttar Pradesh as a civil servant. Excerpts:
You have been posted as the collector of Varanasi just ahead of Kashi-Tamil Sangamam. Is your appointment meant for this grand event?
Answer: I think my appointment as a collector is only a coincidence. But as a Tamil, getting posted in this district is indeed a privilege. IAS and IPS officers in Uttar Pradesh consider it a challenge to get posted in any one of the KAVAL towns—Kanpur, Agra, Varanasi, Aligarh, and Lucknow—since working in these cities are fraught with high responsibilities.
What are the special arrangements for Kashi-Tamil Sangamam by the Varanasi district administration?
The Kashi-Tamil Sangamam is being organised by the Union Ministry of Education. IRCTC, IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University are engaged in different works. Varanasi district administration is coordinating the events.
What is your view on Kashi-Tamil Sangamam?
This programme is a recognition for Tamil language, literature and culture. It's a confluence of cultures of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Though the people of the two states are far apart, they are united by common beliefs, culture and tradition. The prime minister wants the people of each state in the country to learn about the cultures and traditions of other states and KTS is a grand initiative in that direction. It is a good beginning to introduce as well as renew the ties between different parts of the country.
How will these events help states understand each other?
See, I am a Tamil and I had perceptions and assumptions about north India in my student days. But all these changed once I started working in Uttar Pradesh. The assumptions people have about other parts of the country without visiting those places and living there would be wrong in 99% of the cases. For example, most law-and-order issues crop up only when there is a wrong perception among two persons or two groups. When they sit together, definitely, some kind of understanding will arise. Similarly, when people of different regions come together, mutual understanding among them will grow.
Give us an account of people from other states living in Varanasi for a long time.
Apart from a large number of Tamil families in Varanasi, a sizeable number of people from Karnataka live around Hanuman ghat. In other areas, people from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar and Gujarat live in large numbers. There is a historical connection between Kashi and all other parts of India. In the next five months, the pushkaram festival, celebrated by the Telugu people, will take place in Kashi. It happens once every 12 years here. So, all states have some kind of association with Kashi.
Is there any plan to preserve the house where poet Subramania Bharathi lived in Kashi many decades ago?
Yes. Now, close relatives of Bharathi live in that house. This apart, there is scope for taking up the works of Bharathi in a big way among the people here because the poet's messages encompassed everyone in the country. We are planning to put up a digitised gate to the house, and the works of Bharathi will be on display there.
Please share your experiences as an IPS and an IAS officer in Uttar Pradesh.
Before coming to Uttar Pradesh, I had some reservations about this state. But to my surprise, people here have surprised me by accepting me. The people here respect Tamils and believe Tamils are sincere in whatever they do.
Every collector would wish to leave their mark in the district by achieving something for the people. What do you have in mind for the Varanasi district?
This district has the distinction of having the prime minister's constituency. So far, developmental works, infrastructure facilities, etc., worth `18,000 crores have been implemented in the Varanasi district by the prime minister, and many more works are in the pipeline. To implement them in time is my priority. There is a lot of scope in social sectors. Wherever I go, the health sector used to be one of my priorities. Eradicating malnutrition and fine-tuning the functioning of anganwadis and elementary education are among my immediate focus areas.