TN Seshan Dies At 86 சென்னை
N D Logasundaram
N. Ganesan
ஓட்டு எனும்காகித சிற்பத்தில்இந்திய ஜனநாயகத்தைஉயிர்ப்பித்துக்காட்டியவர்.அவருக்கு நம்ஜனநாயக வணக்கங்கள்.________________________________ருத்ரா
Innamburan S.Soundararajan
T.N. Seshan (1932-2019) | The man who cleaned up the Indian electoral system
As CEC, he saw to it that the model code of conduct was taken seriously by political parties and candidates
T.N. Seshan, as Chief Election Commissioner during 1990-96, had initiated the process of cleaning up the electoral system. The introduction of electors’ photo identity cards was a measure towards this direction. He also saw to it that the model code of conduct, till then considered a document of academic interest, was taken seriously by the parties and candidates. Despite facing a volley of criticism that he had exceeded his brief, Mr. Seshan demonstrated to the outside world that his post was no pushover.
Born on December 15, 1932 in Palakkad, Kerala, Mr. Seshan belonged to the 1955 batch of Tamil Nadu cadre officers of the IAS. An alumnus of the Madras Christian College, he, as an IAS officer, did a year-long course in management at the Harvard University in the 1960s.
Anti-Hindi agitation
Even though the Tamil Nadu part of his career was largely regarded as uneventful, he, as Madurai District Collector during 1965-67, came into the attention of the public when he dealt sternly with participants of the anti-Hindi agitation. According to K. Govindan Kutty’s biography Seshan: An Intimate Story (1994), then Chief Minister M. Bakthavatsalam was “flooded with complaints of suppression of civil rights” in the district. Yet, Mr. Seshan was left intact.
In the Tamil Nadu government, he held positions such as Industries Secretary and Agriculture Secretary during M.G. Ramachandran’s first innings (1977-80) as Chief Minister. His differences with his political masters forced him to opt for a Central posting.
His batchmate-friend and former Vigilance Commissioner in Tamil Nadu P.N. Vedanarayanan said he was not surprised by what Mr. Seshan did as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). “His qualities as an administrator were clearly evident when he was part of the State government,” he recalled.
At the Centre, Mr. Seshan held several positions, including Environment and Forests Secretary, Secretary (Security), Defence Secretary, and later, Cabinet Secretary. When Rajiv Gandhi lost power in 1989, he was eased out of the post of Cabinet Secretary and accommodated in the Planning Commission as Member.
Meant business
When Chandra Shekhar became Prime Minister with the support of the Congress, Mr. Seshan was made the CEC in December 1990. Soon, he had shown that he meant business.
He was known as a no nonsensical CEC and one who enforced, in his own way, discipline on political parties and contestants. He earned the wrath of several politicians including former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who once described him as an “embodiment of arrogance.”
He did not compromise on his position that every election had to be held in accordance with the model code of conduct and electoral laws. During the Karnataka Assembly elections in December 1994, he famously pulled up Union Ministers Sitaram Kesri and Kalpnath Rai for “attempting to influence voters.” Then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had assured him that such a problem would not recur.
Electoral reforms
As part of his variant of electoral reforms, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had listed 150 malpractices in the elections. The process that Mr. Seshan had launched got improved by his successors.
It was during Mr. Seshan’s period that the Commission was made a multi-member body in October 1993 with the appointment of M.S. Gill and G.V.G. Krishnamurty. Though he had opposed the government’s move, the Supreme Court upheld the government’s decision to appoint Election Commissioners.
Former CEC T.S. Krishna Murthy, who wrote Miracle of Democracy: India’s Amazing Journey, termed Mr. Seshan’s tenure a “turning point” in the history of the ECI. “If the history of Election Commission is written, it has to be divided into two parts — pre-Seshan era where the Commission functioned as a department of the government and the post-Seshan era when the Commission became more independent,” he pointed out.
Magsaysay award
Briefly in the mid-1990s, Mr. Seshan became an icon of the middle class as he was seen as a crusader against corruption and electoral malpractices. His work was recognised internationally when he was given the Ramon Magsaysay award for 1996.
In October 1994, days before the launch of Mr. Seshan’s biography, the book had attracted widespread controversy as it had some references to former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai which, political parties in Tamil Nadu had thought, were offensive. Later, the book was published, excluding the references.
In July 1997, Mr. Seshan unsuccessfully contested the presidential election against K.R. Narayanan. Two years later, in the Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency, the Congress fielded him against then Union Home Minister L.K. Advani but he lost.
Subsequently, he had served as an adviser of the Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, a deemed to be university. He was a staunch devotee of the 68th pontiff of the Kanchi Mutt, Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi (1894-1994).
Link:
N. Ganesan
N. Ganesan
Modi’s favourite Parameswaran Iyer belongs to the cult of super IAS officers like TN Seshan
Former IAS officer Parameswaran Iyer built 11 crore toilets all over India in 60 months. That's how PM Modi could declare rural India open-defecation free.
N. Ganesan
http://www.asianage.com/opinion/oped/171119/dilli-ka-babu-tn-seshan-the-babu-who-roared.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5iqv-qT6o8
Democracy against Development: Lower-Caste Politics and Political
Modernity in Postcolonial India
Jeffrey Witsoe https://books.google.com/books?id=sQcGAQAAQBAJ&
University of Chicago Press, 2013
How former Chief Election Commissioner TN Seshan tamed the
criminalisation of Indian politics
‘Even the most virulent critics of his megalomaniac and autocratic
tendencies recognised Seshan’s unprecedented efficiency in protecting
the electoral process.’
https://scroll.in/article/911757/how-former-chief-election-commissioner-tn-seshan-tamed-the-criminalisation-of-indian-politics
lengthy interview:
https://www.rediff.com/news/apr/26seshan.htm
https://www.rediff.com/news/apr/26sesh2.htm
https://www.rediff.com/news/apr/28sesh3.htm
https://www.rediff.com/news/apr/28sesh4.htm
NG
N. Ganesan
A bonding that beat astrology: T N Seshan all alone as Jaya departs
Monday 02 April 2018 02:13 PM IST
by Shajil Kumar
Chennai: T N Seshan, former chief election commissioner, is alone now. "He always stood for truth and was prepared to sacrifice his job and even wife for truth," his wife Jayalakshmi described Seshan two years ago. While she was speaking, Seshan heard her intently, holding his mobile phone which had Jaya’s smiling photo on its cover.
With Jaya passing away on Saturday, Seshan has lost a companion of nearly sixty years. He had married Jaya even after their horoscope did not match. Astrologers had also predicted that they would have no children. But the couple were always together, bonded by boundless love, till death took Jaya away.
Seshan’s father had written 'unsuitable' in Malayalam on top of Jaya's horoscope and sent it to Seshan. His father, who was in Palakkad, had found that the marriage would not produce progeny. Though the alliance did not materialise at that time, the same horoscope reached Seshan again two years later. So, Seshan suggested that he would go and meet the girl.
Seshan, accompanied by his father, elder brother, sister-in-law and elder sister met Jaya at Bengaluru on December 30, 1958. The meeting, which took place at 5 pm, lasted barely 10 minutes. At 9 pm, Seshan took the decision to marry Jaya. The wedding took place at Bengaluru on February 9, 1959. Seshan, who followed astrology passionately, was aged 26 at that time.
"When we see beautiful kids, we feel that they belong to us. That was what God decided," Seshan had said. Jaya sat closer to him and laughed like Seshan's child.
Jaya's hobbies were music and badminton and she used to play the game regularly with Seshan. Their houses in Madurai and Bengaluru had badminton courts. Jaya also conducted 'Narayaneeyam' classes regularly at her house since 1988, which continued till a week ago.
When Seshan was confined to wheel-chair, it was
Jaya that he depended on for everything.
Innamburan S.Soundararajan
N. Ganesan
"During the Lok Sabha elections held in May this year, political
parties across the country were seen brazenly violating the poll code,
whether it was using religion to seek votes, or Rajasthan Governor
Kalyan Singh’s campaign to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi or UP
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s describing the army as ‘Modi-ji ke
sena.’ These indicated the ineffectiveness of the EC to contain the
political class."
https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/mindspace/2019/nov/12/remembering-my-classmate-t-n-seshan-2060516.html
Metro man Sreedharan remembers his classmate TN Seshan
The competition between us in academics was fierce but we were still
good friends. Being short in stature in those days, he used to sit in
the front bench, while I was always in the last row.
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/tn-seshan-no-nonsense-man-tn-seshan-cleaned-up-india-electoral-system-1617702-2019-11-11
"Interestingly, both Seshan and E. Sreedharan, former DMRC chief who
is popularly known as the Metro Man, were classmates at BEM High
School and Victoria College in Palakkad.
Both were eligible to study engineering in Kakinada (Jawaharlal Nehru
Technological University). While Sreedharan decided to go ahead,
Seshan decided to join MCC (Madras Christian College)."
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tn-seshan-former-cec-who-tamed-politicians-dies-at-86/articleshow/71998323.cms
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/121119/a-man-of-many-parts-best-known-for-electoral-reforms.html
BTW, like Sreedharan, Prof. V. C. Kulandaiswamy studied Civil
Engineering at Kakinada. Prof. VCK was a fine poet, and the
founder-chairman of
Tamil Virtual University. You can listen to his speech:
http://nganesan.blogspot.com/2013/08/dr-vck-at-thennilai.html
VCK books, http://nganesan.blogspot.com/2017/12/vck-fn-vivekananda-auditorium.html
I was given Prof. VCK award last year at Anna Univeristy, Chennai. He
was the one who changed Perarignar Anna Univeristy of Technology
to simpler Anna University. VCK showing computer to Periyar thread, I
think Selvan posted Udhayachandran, IAS piece in Tamil Hindu
newspaper.
On Friday, when I emntioned about my friendship with Iravatham and R.
Balakrishnan, S. Krishnan, Finance Secretary, Govt. of Tamil Nadu
asked, "Sir, do you know Udhaychandran?".
N. Ganesan
N. Ganesan
பிரபலம். தனது குல மரபு வழக்கங்களை 3 C's, 4 C's என்று தி (திருநெல்லி), நா. (நாராயணையர்) சேஷன்
பல பேட்டிகளில் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார். யேசுதாசின் குரு செம்பை வைத்தியநாத பாகவதர்
கர்நாடக சங்கீதத்தில் புகழ்பெற்றவர்.
4 C's of Palghat Iyers, by a son of the soil:
---------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.rediff.com/news/apr/28sesh4.htm
Once you said, all Palghat brahmins are very good in three Cs.
No, four Cs. Cooks, crooks, civil servants and Carnatic music.
Are you a good cook?
I am a very good cook.
What is your specialty?
Any Kerala vegetarian food.
Do you like Carnatic music?
I have an extensive theoretical knowledge of Carnatic music. I listen to it, identify it.
Is Carnatic music a kind of relaxation for you, or that of enjoyment?
It is a spiral going inwards. It takes the soul further and further inwards. Therefore at least the music I love must be heard at the threshold of audibility, not like modern music which must be heard at the highest of sounds. I listen to music only if it is just heard. The music I enjoy best is classical, instrumental Carnatic.
One last question. Do you have any message for the younger generation of India?
Keep fighting. Don't yield. While you are students, studies are the only thing you can do well, and by studies I don't mean bookish studies, whatever that you want to learn -- photography, dance, music, art culture, romance. Be sensitive, be patriotic. Learn the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, and the courage to speak in favour of the right, one time, every time, irrespective of consequences. Seek help if you can't distinguish between right and wrong. If you are a rational human being, 99.9999% of what you see around can be rationally distinguished, between right and wrong without external help.
N. Ganesan
While the session was on, a youth — probably an outsider — asked Seshan as to why he had left out J Jayalalithaa while naming so many other politicians in his speech, adding that just because his name was ‘Tamil Nadu’ Seshan. No sooner had the young man finished the question, Seshan, who was standing on the dais, flew into a rage. He thundered: “Tumhare baap ne mera naam Tamil Nadu Seshan rakha hai. Ek tameez hoti hai baat karne ki. Tumhare maa-baap ne tumhe tameez nahin sikhayee.”
As the youth tried to save the situation, it further infuriated Seshan. He even threatened to call the police to remove the ‘offender’ from the scene. As the situation seemed to be getting out of hand, it became too much for a bunch of Punjab and Haryana High Court lawyers sitting in the front row, who came to the youth’s rescue. One of them got up from his seat and told Seshan: “Don’t try to intimidate the young lad. This is a public forum and he has every right to ask questions.” The counter-aggression shown by the advocate made the CEC relent and the situation was defused.
Innamburan S.Soundararajan
இ
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Innamburan S.Soundararajan
Election Commission to set up visiting chair in memory of former CEC TN Seshan
Nov 16, 2019 | , | 7:19PM |
The visiting chair will be established in the Centre for Curriculum Development at India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, New Delhi from 2020-2025. The Chair will be mentored by former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami.
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announced the decision while delivering his address at the Institute of Law, NIRMA University, in Ahmedabad today.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Arora said that T N Seshan’s enduring contribution to the cause of probity, transparency and integrity in various aspects of the electoral process has made his name synonymous with electoral best practices worldwide.
He said, the Visiting Chair programme will be targeted to young academics with a proven track record in fields relatable to electoral studie
N. Ganesan
One day’s sultan: T.N. Seshan and Indian democracy
Innamburan S.Soundararajan
N. Ganesan
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