Tamil Nadu governor Vidyasagar Rao: A prisoner of 'conscience' many time

HYDERABAD: Those were emergency days. Indira Gandhi as prime minister had clamped a state of emergency in the country from June 25, 1975. It was withdrawn only on March 21, 1977.

Opposing the emergency tooth and nail was a man born in Nagaram village of Konaraopet mandal in Karimnagar district in Telangana.

If it meant going to the jail, he did. Ch Vidyasagar Rao was lodged in the Central Jail, Warangal. But Rao stuck to his conviction. Rao's family was large - he was one of the four boys at home and there were eight sisters. Since a young man, he stuck to what he believed in.

The 'prisoner of conscience' is now caught in a situation now where he has to exercise caution and be judicious. As governor of Tamil Nadu, Vidyasagar Rao is now in the eye of a political storm.

Political developments in Tamil Nadu in the aftermath of former chief minister J Jayalalitha's death, has brought the spotlight on Vidyasagar Rao. Will he invite Jayalalitha's friend Sasikala who has been elected as leader of AIADMK to form the government? Or will Jayalitha's political confidante and chief minister O Pannerselvam will something to cheer about as he plans to upset Sasikala's applecart?

This is not the first time in his life that the 74-year-old has found himself in a piquant situation.

"I cannot never forget this. When I was floor leader of the BJP in the AP assembly, my elder brother Ch Rajeshwara Rao was the CPI floor leader. Both of us had our own set of believes and my brother let me be me," Ch Vidyasagar Rao recollected at a function in the city in July 2015. The occasion was the release of Rao's book in Telugu titled "Uniki" (Existence). In fact, it was a collection of all his writings in jail, and in newspapers, and events in his life.

In the function attended by President Pranab Mukherjee, chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and politicians from all parties and his family members, Rao spoke from his heart.

"The last page is important for children. That is why I have dedicated it to my grandchildren who are in the US. They should be aware of it," Rao said.

In the 'Yaksha Prashna' of Aranya Parva in the epic Mahabharata, where Yudisthir answers questions posed by Yaksha. Vidyasagar Rao makes a mention of one particular question that Yaksha poses to Dharmaraju. "What is surprising? The answer that Dharmaraju gives is: "The fact that people thinking themselves as stable and permanent, in spite of seeing several deaths daily is surprising."

Quoting Vivekananda that day, the former union minister and several times legislator and governor of Maharashtra said, "What is important is to lead a purposeful life."

As one who is holding additional charge as Governor of Tamil Nadu at a critical phase, Rao's decision will be under scrutiny.