Life well-spent, according to spiritual values: Ashwani Kumar - former CBI Director and now the new Governor

to Nagaland
President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Ashwani Kumar as Governor of Nagaland. Mr. Ashwani Kumar, who led the CBI from August 2008 to November 2010, is the first head of the premier investigating agency to be appointed as Governor. Present here are the views of Ashwani Kumar, related to his up-bringing, spiritual values and life. R.N.I., New Delhi: A great believer in Divinity and Divine help in every day affairs of a human being, former CBI Director and now the newly appointed Governor of Nagaland, Dr. Ashwani Kumar, still leave all his achievements and accomplishments during the 38 years of Government service as an IPS officer to the Hand of God. Religion has a very powerful affect on a person. I have been taught that we are part of God. Its like an ocean and a drop of water. There is no difference between the two. Drops in large number constitute an ocean, says Dr. Kumar, adding further that life is like a journey. It is as if you are going in a train, where every single moment presents new situations in front of new surroundings and backdrops. We are part of this big system. One should realize that this cosmos is so big. In that big cosmos, earth is very small. In this earth, there is a small city in which you live. And in that city, there is one Ashwani Kumar. Fact is that you dont matter! If you consider yourself as important, as Alexander and so many people in this world did, you should realize that you are a small entity and part of the big system. Therefore, it will be in your interest that you act as per the requirements of the Divine system. Eventually, you have to unite with Divinity. There is no escaping. The earlier you change yourself to become united with the greater power, the better it is for you. If you look at history, there have been so many powerful people. There was the British Empire about which it was said that the sun never sets on it. Where is the empire now? Dr. Kumar ponders. Hailing from a small hill-town by the name Nahan in Himachal Pradesh, Dr. Ashwani Kumar still carries the calm and contented nature of the small town. Nagaland, with its mountains and lush green surroundings will be a sort of home-coming for Kumar who has spent most of his professional life in an entirely different atmosphere in Delhi. Though he is one person who made Nahan proud of his achievements, Dr. Kumar never allowed success to change him. On the contrary, he tried to change things for betterment, wherever he went. A very interesting incident is from the time when he was made DGPolice Himachal Pradesh. Complying with his childhood belief that the traffic barriers are points of corruption, he abolished all barriers in Himachal Pradesh the day he became the head of police department. For two years, the state had no barriers. Recounting those days, Dr. Kumar says: There was a great uproar. The politicians, the media and the subordinates all went against this decision. But I was firm, as I sincerely believed this was a point of corruption. Has ever murder or theft stopped due to barriers? When you go in

train, you cross several states without any barriers. Is there more crime in train than on roads? Take the example of Europe where you can cross nearly the entire continent, passing through several countries, on one passport. Here we were only talking of abolishing barriers in entry points to the State? I was clear to myself that I wont do anything wrong willfully. I told this in clear words to my seniors and juniors alike. I was the DGP-Police in a BJP-ruled state and then made the Director-CBI by the Congress Government at the center, says the police officer turned academician turned Governor who believes that still there is more goodness than evil on this earth, or else this world would have perished. If you are clean from your heart, if you think positive and do good the people do appreciate you and you get your due, adds Kumar. Another success mantra of Dr. Kumar is as follows: I used to tell lies when I was a child. When I joined the service, every time I told a lie, I got caught. Then I made a decision that I would never tell a lie. If you dont speak too many lies, your life will be happy. Dr. Ashwani Kumar still fondly remembers the incident when he was gifted a pen. Normally, I use a 5 or 10 rupee pen. Somebody gifted a pen to me. I was not aware of its worth. A friend of mine told me that it was Mont Blanc and was worth Rs.40000 to 50000. I couldnt sleep the whole night. Early in the morning I went to the Taj Mansingh Hotel where this person was staying and woke him up at 6 in the morning. I pressed him to take his gift back, which he did. Remarkably, Dr. Kumar attributes his habit of getting up at 4 in the morning to the Muslim prayer call (azaan). The Haripur Mohalla Nahan where he grew up has only 3 Hindu houses. All the rest of the houses belong to Muslims. There is an interesting story that goes behind this as well. In 1947, when there were communal disturbances all across North India, Maharaj Surinder Prakash did the commendable act of issuing a dictate that no Muslim in Nahan will be harmed. Several Muslims came to settle in town. Getting up early helped me a lot in my life. I used to finish all my days work between 4 and 8 and then I was free to meet people all through the day. Due to this habit acquired in young age there was never any file pending on my table, says Dr. Kumar whose penchant to listen devotional Sufi music and ghazals too perhaps has roots in those childhood days in a Muslim locality. Dr. Kumar is proud of his sons spiritual alignments and upbringing. One duty I felt was to bring up my children as a good citizen of society. In the form of my son Abhishek, an IT graduate now working with Infosys, I feel my wife Chanda and I have been able to add one good citizen to the society. The real purpose of taking the assignment of teaching too is his desire to give something back to the society. If I can give back something to the children and bring about a small change in their lives, I will think I have done my duty. It is the path of spiritual elevation that Dr. Kumar seems to be following rather unknowingly. For him, it is his duty that needs to be fulfilled. R.N.I. News Network