#You cannot lead people unless you love them#

Pune  : You cannot lead people unless you love them, said CM od Odisha Naveen Pattanaik while receiving the Ideal Chief Minister Award  from  former President of  india Smt. Pratibha DevisinghPatil  in  Indian Student Parliament and M.I.T, School of Government . He dedicated  the  honour to the four and half crore people of Odisha who have reposed their faith in us for the past 17 years and continuously blessed us, said Sri Pattanaik .

He said , With passage of time, everything evolves to its higher form –that  is the beauty of the human quest for perfection, Take any field- Biology, Mathematics, Medicine, Information Technology, we have made giant strides. In fact, the last 200 years have been the most dramatic years in human evolution. Who would have thought that TWITTER and FACEBOOK will become such integral parts of our lives and social relationships? That, Big Data, Block Chains and Nano-Technology will revolutionise our daily lives like never before. However, all of us will agree that the evolution that one would have liked to have in governance and public service is still to be achieved. Good governance and selfless public service are the pillars of democracy.The biggest challenge before all of us today and especially for my younger friends is –how to strengthen governance and instill public service-in turn strengthening democracy.

Addressing the gathering CM said that I understand that you have been listening to eminent speakers over the last few days. Let me tell you, I am not a great speaker. Twenty years ago I was a political novice.I would have never imagined that I will be standing here  as one of the longest serving Chief Ministers of the country. Today, I can say with conviction, that politics is not complicated.  Politics is the most powerful instrument to bring about change in the lives of people.

And so it follows that if people are kept at the core of your intentions, efforts and initiatives, then there is no complication. Mahatma Gandhi has summed it beautifully in the Talisman-perhaps one of the greatest political philosophies of all times.

"Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? "

Sri Pattanaik to said that, In public service, one keeps encountering these situations on a daily basis.  Six months ago, we had to take a decision on urban slum dwellers. There was a choice between, continuing the practice of evictions and treating people as encroachers, resulting in lakhsof families living in fear and insecurity.  Or recognising their immense contributions to the life of the city and providing them land rights. Keeping people first ………..we chose the second option. A seemingly complicated situation always has a simple solution. This has been done for the first time in the country and they say it is path-breaking and historic.

When you keep people first –it is good politics, When you keep people first there is no anti- incumbency . One of the greatest visionary leaders Martin Luther King had said –

“You cannot lead people,  Unless you love them” . If you work for the love of people, even in the worst of natural disasters you aim for zero casualty…….and you end up setting global benchmarks.

If you love your people - you do not want anyone, without a roof over their heads.And you end up leading the country in Rural Housing. If you love your people…..you will walk the extra mile to include the most vulnerable sections in your growth story …………and you end up with the path-breaking initiative of setting up  Tribal Development Councils. If you love your people you don’t want hungry stomachs staring into the night.And you end up with the highest poverty reduction in the country. If you love your people,You don’t fight for elections, You fight for change and transformation. If you love your people ……..With every intent, every step, every action, every signature, said Sri Pattanaik .

And with every breath  You will work for them. Long after you have breathed your last, you will still continue to live in the hearts of people, like Mahatma Gandhi and Biju Babu. Today, I am still a novice in politics. I just followed these two principles and the people of Odisha have showered their blessings on me continuously. As you have shown in that movie –I am single, with a loving family of four and half crore people. More and more good people like you should join politics. And be, part of the change you want to see. If you keep people at the forefront,  It is not a Political journey,  It is a spiritual experience, said Sri Pattanaik 

among aother  Hon’ble M.P and Former Union Minister Dr.Murli Manohar Joshi,  Shri Milind Deora,  Professor Dr. Viswanath   Karad, Dr.Mashelkar, Shri Rahul  Karad, Dr Dr.Firodia and cothers present on the occasion .