Lending the common touch
By Reeta Sharma

FROM the day of his appointment, Lt Gen JFR Jacob (retd) has been an unusual Administrator of Chandigarh. He has refused to be encased in the golden cage of Punjab Raj Bhavan and has been out on the streets almost every day, minutely recording and fixing the many ills that plague this city with compassion and a will to better his best.

The more I observe him, the more I am reminded of Dr M. S.Randhawa, who was the first Chief Commissioner of Chandigarh. Dr Randhawa nurtured the city during in its infancy, General Jacob has the hard and unenviable task of guiding it through its adolescence.

Chandigarh is passing through a period of transition. Increasing population pressure, unmanageable migration, unemployment, encroachments, vehicular pollution, etc, are increasing the load on the city’s systems. These huge demands are compounded by non-accountability of government employees, corrupt practices, inefficiency and a resource crunch. To lead from the front at this crucial juncture is certainly not an easy task.

However, in a short span of time, Gen. Jacob has dealt with issues relating to Chandigarh firmly and effectively. For decades, it may be recalled, Chandigarhians have been demanding amendments to the rigid bylaws. The amendments have now been effected and have brought a great deal of relief to the residents.

Migration is also engaging his attention. While Chandigarhians are extremely possessive about the city and view the migration with contempt, Gen Jacob looks at it with compassion. "It is a free country," he says, "You cannot stop the movement of the people. The poor, driven by their survival instinct, will always move inevitably to areas where they have a better chance of a livelihood." The solution does not lie in banning migration but in creating more and more employment opportunities. "Did Delhi or Mumbai succeed in keeping the migrants at bay?," he counters with a touch of concern.

Similarly, a step that should have been taken 30 years ago has been taken only now due to his initiative. The First World countries introduced electric buses long, long ago in order to protect the environment. Since Chandigarh was a planned city, this thought should have crossed the mind of its administrators long ago. Gen Jacob has pursued this idea with single-minded perseverance and soon we will have electric buses on our roads. "This service has to be extended to Panchkula and Mohali in the interest of Chandigarh," he says. "Even this will not suffice. We shall have to soon lay the CNG pipeline. We have to have a budget provision for this, too."

Like a true straight-talking Army officer, he does not beat around the bush. "Yes, there is a vast difference between the northern and southern sectors of Chandigarh. But to build the South up to the level of North will take a long time. But we have started widening of the roads, developing parks and putting up major projects in the South".

Frankly, people like him, who are always very few, have baffled me. How they exceed themselves is a question that remains unanswered. People like him enviably not only carve an illustrious career for themselves but also branch out into other totally different areas of activity and knowledge. Talk to Gen. Jacob on archaeology and museums and you will end up offering him a doctorate. Broach history, travel books, biographies et al, and he can keep you engrossed for hours. If you thought that at 70- plus he would only be interested in Aristotle, Shakespeare and Gorky, you are certainly bound to be stumped because he admires very contemporary Anita Desai too.

He hates to talk about himself. He is a disciplinarian but compassionate too. Says a member of his staff, "Sahib sits with his newspapers but keeps an eye on who has arrived at what time. He can tell you by the watch how many minutes late you are. But before you apologise, he often forgives you saying, "You are married. You have a family and responsibilities. That’s what must have delayed you. All right, go in. But don’t repeat it’."

The only time he turns oblivious of his surroundings is when he talks about Kolkata. "It is a city of culture, a city of people who are warm, humane and kind hearted. It has become chaotic but I remember the Kolkata of the old times. The Jain temple, the Kali temple, the National Museum, the university, everything is so enchanting there." Will he settle in Chandigarh? "No I cannot afford to settle down in Chandigarh. After retirement, I will go to my flat in Delhi and live there till I die," he says matter-of-factly.