Profiles

Fundamental Principles of a State’s Well-being - Part 5

Administrative Intelligence of the Dewans

Before 1940, all those who administered the State in the position of the Dewan were loyal and competent in their own ways. As mentioned earlier, there are two levels of State governance – 1. Development (Progress) and 2. Day-to-day administration. Likewise, there are two different standards of people who run the State’s administration – 1. Statesmen and 2. Administrators.

Fundamental Principles of a State’s Well-being - Part 4

That doesn’t mean we don’t want democracy at all. The State must be dependent on the citizenry is an important principle. The policies of the State as well as the rules and regulations must be in harmony with the majority. The extent of politics necessary (or adequate) for the majority to express its true opinion should be the extent to which their rights need to be protected. Democracy beyond that may lead to extremes.

V P Madhava Rao (Part 3)

Generosity

There is yet another instance. Vidvān Brahmaśrī Chappalli Viśveśvara-śāstrī of Bangalore was a Sanskrit Scholar at Central College. He was an outstanding scholar of grammar and literary aesthetics. He was a person whose conduct and faith in traditions were worth being emulated by everyone. One day, he went to Dewan V P Madhava Rao to make a request. Rao received him with a lot of regard and asked him what the purpose of his visit was.

V P Madhava Rao (Part 2)

In Travancore

In this manner, V P Madhava Rao became the Dewan of Travancore long before Krishnamurti became the Dewan of Mysore.* There is no doubt that V P Madhava Rao had become popular in Travancore. In my consideration, three of his attributes are extremely necessary for an administrator –

V P Madhava Rao (Part 1)

After P N Krishnamurti, V P Madhava Rao came to power as the Dewan. He was a smārta Deśastha brāhmaṇa from the Tanjore region. We could see a little bit of Sir K Seshadri Iyer’s mien in him. Employed by the Government of Mysore during Rungacharlu’s tenure as Dewan, Madhava Rao rose to prominence and became well known for his competence. He became successful as the Inspector General of Police. It was the period when the plague had struck for the first time. To prevent the disease, the government had made arrangements such as inoculation.

Dewan Rungacharlu (Part 3)

Appendix

[A few incidents which highlight Rungacharlu’s nature and character can be seen in an article published in the Deccan Herald dated 7th December 1961. The writer of this article, Sri A S R Chari, was Rungacharlu’s grandson. He worked as a Judge in the Mysore High Court for a brief period before his retirement.]