Guns to Grace: Assam's Son Who Guarded Akshardham and Governed with Wit

As one entered the pristine premises of Shilpagram in Punjabari, Guwahati, on July 13, 2025, the tyranny of the summer sun was somewhat assuaged by a huge picture of a Commando who seemed like a man with an iron fist in a silken glove. As you go forward, you see the man adorned in the uniform of the Border Man, as BSF likes to call itself. A little further, and you see him taking the oath of the high constitutional office as the Governor of Meghalaya. Next, one is greeted by a picture of the man, looking nonchalant in his orange kurta, with a trademark smile, as seen in all the other pictures. One gets a feeling that the man would be a movie star whose different persona, as adopted in the silver screen, is being celebrated in the felicitation event, organised by Srimanta Foundation for Culture & Society to confer the special honour of Borenya on the man.

However, one is in for a pleasant surprise that the man in the collage of pictures is a son of Assam, in whom the whole of the state, in general and the Bodo people, in particular, take immense pride in. He is Ranjit Shekhar Moosahary, IPS (Retd.) His journey as an IPS officer, to the first Chief Information Commissioner of Assam, to the Governor of Meghalaya, to his current avatar of being an extraordinary, ordinary man, has been well documented in a plethora of media. Hence, instead of trudging the beaten path, one would attempt to throw some light on the persona whose brilliance was on full display during the felicitation event.

Before we do that, one would be amiss if a distinct feature of the event were not prominently mentioned. The opening cultural exposition in the form of a Bodo dance number performed by a crew of non-Bodo artists from Chirang and Bongaigaon set the tone of the event, setting itself apart from run-of-the-mill events that are burgeoning all over the city. This is incidentally a signature proposition of Srimanta Foundation, which has been exploring such cultural cross-pollination since 2012 as a means of building bridges of peace and harmony across the state.

The format of the event in itself was unique in a way where, instead of a monologue speech by Shri Moosahary, the event was conducted through a discussion in the format of a podcast, perhaps to connect better with the scores of civil service aspirants as well as the intellectuals of the state in the auditorium. The discussion was led by Shri Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, IPS (Retd.), who went through the life of Shri Moosahary using a well-curated collection of exclusive images, giving a rare glimpse into the man behind the uniforms: khaki, commando and camouflage. 

While the format itself was refreshing, as acknowledged by Shri Moosahary as well, the best part was the candidness on display by the cynosure as well as the host. For instance, when asked if he would indulge in musical escapades in his student days, Shri Moosahary’s off-the-cuff response was, “Bhaskar, where do you think I had the time to when I was busy with my day job as a clerk and completing my graduation in night classes?” Similarly, when a young aspirant asked him about love and if he had fallen for anyone before meeting his better half, in his signature style, he responded, “Yes, of course! And I have told my wife as well because she would have found out anyway. And when you get married, make sure you know everything about your husband.” This left the crowd in laughter. 

Though there was fun galore, there were some serious, thought-provoking discussions as well. When the host, who is the serving Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Assam, asked the former CIC the importance of RTI, Shri Moosahary had the most insightful response. According to him, a good framework of governance is the ART of governance; a government which is Accountable, Responsive and Transparent is the ideal service delivery mechanism for the society. Imagining such a society, according to both the luminaries, is the soul of RTI.

Similarly, espousing on the history of undivided Assam and relating it to his book, Rediscovering History of Assam; The Country of Circe, the audience was enthralled with an engaging journey, taking us all back in time to the travel of the Kachari people from Southern Tibet and how they brought with them three key elements of Assam’s history and legacy; tea, eri and the much loved rice beer. In the smothering heat of the day, reference to the last one struck a special chord among some of the attendees. 

As the event came towards its last part, there was a lively conversation with the audience. This part of the program had a wide horizon with questions ranging from affirmative action, to the fateful day of 24th September 2002 when terrorist attacked the famous Akshardham temple in Gujarat and he was at the forefront of India’s response as DG, NSG, to love, family and the role of his better half in his life’s success as well as how “cute” he looked even at the fullness of age. To all these queries, the former Governor had the most frank answers, with his customary smile and candour. 

To sum it up, the day was one of laughter, joy and profound learning from a son of our soil. One who not only has the distinction of cracking the civil services in the first attempt and going on to be the first person from Northeast India to lead premier frontline organisations like the National Security Guard and the Border Security Force, but also a lesson in humility, inquisitiveness and selfless service to society.