Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, March 8
“Many thanks for your wonderful message. I am grateful”. Thus responded Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, governor designate of Bihar. He is expected to occupy Lok Bhawan at Patna on March 13.
He will be a genuine Lok Sewak in uniform. The Lt General is popular as People’s Commander with blend of firmness in uniform with human touch. The General who is Chancellor of Kashmir Central University will be in the Lok Bhawan from the battlefield of Kashmir as he had served as commander in Uri, Baramullah with his last posting at Badami Bagh cantonment at Srinagar where he headed the most sensitive 15 corps, in the conflict zone.
It will be complete transition from the uniform to the constitutional office in yet another politically volatile Bihar. The General who had been commander of IPKF under United Nations controlled Mozambique and Rawanda. In Kashmir,he had earned the goodwill of common Kashimirs in the Valley as he breached the security walls of cantonment to the fields and markets of different parts of the Valley.
In uniform, he interacted with the students, farmers and shopkeepers, listening them, attending to their problems and issues. He overthrew bureaucratic attitude and used to issue instructions on the spot.
The General stepped beyond the traditional image of a military commander and reached to the Kashmiris who had grievances with the security personnel.
His actions humanized the institution of Armed forces. General was convinced security operations alone can not control insurgency in the conflict zones of Kashmir, but winning people’s confidence was equally important. He believed and practiced human heart centric approach. This worked favorably as an effectively reduce insurgency and restoration of comparative peace in the Valley.
In Lt General Ata Hasanain, Bihar Lok Bhawan gets a Governor as Army commander turned scholar who is a member of the National Disaster management authority too. Like his father, Mahadi Hasnain, the Governor designate too started his Army career with Garhwal Rifles.
Incidentally, Bihar gets a Governor first time in Uniform.
