Phrase that stuck

Lat governor’, an infamous Hindi phrase for being powerful, was once a synonym for the British governors who tried to pull things off their way, irrespective of being ‘socially’ called right or wrong.
When Sarojini Naidu became the first woman governor of Uttar Pradesh after independence in 1947, it was her simple persona, which reflected in the way she lived and administrated, that stopped the use of the infamous idiom for Indian governors.
Since then a lot of water has flown across and India today stands among one of the fastest growing economies of the world. Many would think that Indian politics would also have moved ahead with the times, making things more liberal and transparent. Well, it has moved! Indian governors today are more known for their expensive tastes and love for power rather than their social intent. Today there are more examples of misuse of governor houses than of keeping up the spirit of the constitutional position. Not so long ago a governor of Andhra Pradesh had to resign when his explicit video got leaked to many news channels. Another governor in Jharkhand faced severe criticisms after he invited a minority coalition to form a government despite being given the list of majority coalition members by another party. That governor was summo­ned by the then President of India and subsequently, a majority party government was sworn into office, which went on to prove its majority on the floor of the House.
Sadly, today there is hardly anyone like the ‘Nightingale of India’, who began her career with the post of governor, and ushered in a new era for an independent nation. There are now more of those who occupy the post at the fag end of their political careers and have brought an end to the image of the ‘clean governor’. Life has come full circle and governors can once again be referred to as ‘Lat governor’, this time of independent India.
Ajay Kumar Shukla