Emotional Governor; First Lady Leave Bihar

Patna: July 5, 2008

Amidst heavy hearts and a well-deserved guard of honor, Governor R. S. Gavai and his elegant wife Kamala Tai Gavai boarded a plane at Patna Airport on Saturday morning and left for New Delhi taking tons of memories with them while leaving a special place for themselves in the hearts of millions of people in Bihar that had been their home for last two years.

As the leaders including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar handed flower bouquets to the departing Governor, his wife could not hold back her emotions and held the state Art and Culture Minister Renu Devi and cried like a newly-wed bride leaving her father's home for the first time.

There was hardly any eye in the hangar that was not moist by seeing the two people so attached to the state and its people leaving.

Besides the Chief Minister, Bihar Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chowdhary, State Legislative chairperson Prof. Arun Kumar, nearly the entire Nitish Cabinet, the Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police (DGP) and other top bureaucrats individually presented bouquet to the Governor, who despite his best attempts, could not hide tears in his eyes saying Bihar and its people would eternally remain in his heart and he would continue to pray for the progress of the state.

Mr. Gavai's plane took off at around 9:00 am. After completing the required formality in New Delhi, he would then take charge as the Governor of Kerala sometime next week.

His replacement Mr. R. L. Bhatia is expected to arrive in Patna on July 10.

Earlier, similar emotional scene was witnessed at the Raj Bhawan when the Governor and his wife stepped out of the building to leave for the airport. The entire staff of the Governor's House stood quietly on both sides of the walkway and wished Mr. and Mrs. Gavai the best while urging them to visit Bihar again soon.