14th President was always a ‘frontbencher’ in class

New Delhi/ Kanpur: India got its 14th President on Thursday in former Bihar governor, Ram Nath Kovind, 71, who is known for his non-confrontational approach and an affable nature.

Coming from a humble background, Mr Kovind, a dalit, is the youngest among seven siblings. Even in the BJP, with which he has been associated since the 90’s, he is remembered as someone having an “amiable and agreeable nature” and someone who was always ready to take up issues related to the weaker sections of the society.

Mr Kovind’s parents used to run a small grocery shop from their thatched-roof house in Paraunkh village, Kanpur Dehat in Uttar Pradesh. They also owned a small piece of agricultural land. Mr Kovind donated his ancestral home to the RSS, though he has never been an active RSS member. Married to Savita Kovind, Mr Kovind has two children — a son, Prashant, and a daughter, Swati.

Mr Kovind, who has always maintained a low-profile, is also the longstanding president of the All India Koli Samaj. Known for his sharp memory and affable nature, Paraunkh elders remember him as someone who used to study under the Peepul tree while his then classmates and seniors recall how he was always among the “frontbenchers”, the teachers’ favourite and the “class monitor”.

Having lost his mother to a fire, which had engulfed his house and even him when he was barely six years old, it was his sisters and then eldest sister-in-law who brought him up.

Some of  his neighbours also recalled how when his mother passed away, “Ram Nath” would refuse to eat if his eldest sister was not there to serve him.

Villagers also recalled how his parents used to regularly offer prayers at the Pathri Devi temple for their family’s well-being and for “Ram Nath” whose only aim even at that tender age was to study.

Ever since his name was declared by the BJP as NDA’s presidential nominee, celebrations began at his native village. Havans and prayers are held and almost the entire village has been busy preparing and arranging for sweets, though Mr Kovind himself is said to be “not very fond” of them.

“After becoming Bihar governor, he came here once and met us all. He has gifted his ancestral house to the village which is now being used as a community hall to hold small functions,” said a Paraunkh and  Mr Kovind’s senior in school Raj Kishore Singh said, adding that he “remained easily accessible, simple, humble and straightforward” despite his stature.

After completing primary school at his native village, Mr Kovind had to go to Kanpur city, for education but used to regulary visit his village. He remained “connected” with his village and school friends, who recalled “wo hamesha first he aatta tha (he used to secure first position in class)”.

Even his house at Maharishi Dayanand Vihar, Kalyanpur, Kanpur, still remains as modest and almost as nondescript as the man himself.

At his Kanpur residence, the daughter of the caretaker of the house, Ruchi, said that Mr Kovind had rarely been to Kanpur after he became Bihar governor.

A neighbour, Bhaskar, said, “The family is very simple and Ram Nath Kovind is soft spoken and we have never heard him raise his voice. He has never behaved like politicians normally do. In fact, some of the new residents did not even know that he was a political leader until his name was announced for the President’s post.”

Mr Kovind’s distant nephew, Anil Kumar, said nobody from his immediate family lived in the village but added that after Mr Kovind became Rajya Sabha member, he ensured development of Paraunkh.

Vinod Singh Chauhan, who lives next to Mr Kovind’s ancestral house, said that Mr Kovind’s family could not even afford his school fee.

“The best quality about the family is that they never cribbed about their bad days and never flaunted their status when he became a well-known politician,” he said.

After completing his schooling, Mr Kovind completed his B.Com, LLB, from the Kanpur University and practised law. He was also the central government advocate in Delhi High Court from 1977 to 1979 and then its Standing Counsel in the Supreme Court from 1980 to 1993. Mr Kovind became advocate-on-record of the Supreme Court of India in 1978 and practised in Delhi high court and Supreme Court for at least 16 years, until 1993.

As an advocate, he took the lead in providing free legal aid to weaker sections, especially the SC/ST women, and poor and needy girls under the aegis of the Free Legal Aid Society in Delhi.

Mr Kovind also served as the personal assistant of then Prime Minister Morarji Desai from 1977-1978.

He fought two unsuccessful elections — Lok Sabha election from Ghatampur (SC) constituency and Assembly elections from Bhoginipur (SC) in 2007.

Mr Kovind joined a stir by SC/ST employees in 1997 when Dalits and others protested against orders issued by the central government, which were rescinded by Atal Bihari Vajpayee when the NDA came to power.

He was elected to Rajya Sabha in April 1994 from Uttar Pradesh and served for two consecutive terms for 12 years, until March 2006. In Parliament, Mr Kovind served as member of several important parliamentary committees, such as parliamentary committee on welfare of Scheduled Castes/Tribes, parliamentary committee on home affairs, parliamentary committee on petroleum and natural gas, parliamentary committee on social justice and empowerment, parliamentary committee on law and justice, chairman of Rajya Sabha House committee.

In BJP, Mr Kovind also headed the dalit morcha from 1998 to 2002 and was also the national spokesperson and the national general secretary, before his appointment as the Bihar governor.

As the Bihar governor, Mr Kovind would also be rembered for correcting RJD supremo Lalu Prasad’s son Tej Pratap during the latter’s swearing-in ceremony and making him repeat his oath as he had read “Upekshit (ignored)” instead of “Apekshit (expected)”.