Many people have had the opportunity to meet Dr SC Jamir after he became the Governor of Goa. I think it’s mainly because he’s holding a constitutional position which is less taxing as compared to his previous responibilities. I think he’s also kind enough to meet delegations and individuals espcially from Nagaland and gives them importance. So, last winter, while on a holiday in Goa, one sunny day I decided to head for the Raj Bhavan in Panjim.
The Raj Bhavan in Panjim is beautifully located at the extreme end of a narrow cape jutting into the Arabian Sea. Earlier, during the Portuguese regime, it was the Official Residence of the Governor-General. The massive Raj Bhavan estate has it’s own beach and a 500 year old chapel. The well maintained interiors of the Raj Bhavan still bears signs of the rich history it possesses.
View from the Raj Bhavan
I passed through the lush green estate and headed for the office of the Governor’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Mr Zumvu with whom I was acquainted. He later intorduced me to Dr Jamir.
Mr Jamir looked very cool and casual with his white kurta – pyjama. We conversed for a good 30 minutes during which I was awestruck by the man’s knowledge and sharp memory. It seemed he knew every corner of Nagaland. He recollected people and past events as if it happened just yesterday. He remembered my grandfather with fondness. They were room-mates in Allahbad Law University where they were students. My grandfather went on to become an IAS officer while Mr Jamir, like we all know, joined politics. We ended our meeting with some photographs. After coming out of the office I was delighted that I could finally meet Jamir. The man about whom we have heard and read so much.
I then had a delightful Naga lunch at Mr Zumvu’s home. Also present were a few other Nagas living in Goa. Among them was a Sema doctor.
Later that evening, the Sema doctor and myself drove to the Goa Marriott Resort. While conversing about life and Goa, he mentioned how Goa was such an ideal place to live and work. There were places to hangout and entertain oneself at the end of a hard day’s work. He wished Nagaland would one day be the same. He also mentioned that people say this and that about Jamir but he’s actually an ambassador for Nagaland. “After he became the Governor of Goa (and now Maharashtra) people actually know more about Nagaland than before” He said.
..I could not agree more. While going around in Goa, when people asked me where I was form and when I told them that I was from Nagaland, the next thing they said was “oh yes, the Governor of Goa is from Nagaland too. You know him?!”.
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