It was 6:30 am on 26 December when the tsunami struck, devastating many coastal areas in India and killing around 15,000 people. Sushilkumar Shinde promptly donated one month's salary to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. As soon as relief work was underway, he started his tour of Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna districts. He interacted with tsunami-hit people for two continuous days, visited all the affected areas and oversaw the relief operations.

 

On 4 May 2005, Sushilkumar Shinde was to complete six months in office. The erstwhile state of the Nizam, now the land of Telugu-speaking people, was destined to receive a thorough gentleman. a sophisticated politician, a popular leader and above all, a sharp brain - with the heart throbbing for downtrodden people. Sushilkumar Shinde's name was flashed by the media in the afternoon of 30 October 2004 as the 19th Governor of Andhra Pradesh.

 

One of Sushilkumar Shinde’s endearing qualities is that he remains accessible to everyone. As the chief minister in Maharashtra, he was besieged by people from morning till midnight, day in and day out, wherever he went. Even while in Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad, there was a strict order to his staff not to bar any visitor. This carte blanche was exploited by people who would reach Raj Bhavan at any time that suited them. Those from Solapur, especially. were always around him. But Sushilkumar Shinde never frowned at such intrusions. Taking care of his ceremonial duties without ever breaking protocol, Sushilkumar Shinde remained close to the people at the grassroots even in the gubernatorial mansion.

 

On 1 November, S. Anwar, Special Chief Secretary to the Governor of AP, reached Mumbai along with the Presidential Warrant of Appointment. He had an Opportunity to attend a farewell party arranged by senior officials in Maharashtra to favourite Chief Minister. The mood of the party was sombre. On the lips of every official was one statement: "You have taken the best leader of Maharashtra from us."

Flight Lieutenant Amit Kaushik, Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of AP, was given the privilege of escorting the Governor-designate from Mumbai to Hyderabad for the swearing-in ceremony, which was to take place on 4 November 2004. Kaushik reached Mumbai in the evening of 3 November and headed for 'Varsha', the official residence of the Maharashtra CM.

 

At 9 am on 4 November. Kaushik recalls they landed at Hyderabad airport. After a grand welcome, the Governor-designate was taken in a ceremonial drive to Raj Bhavan with military outriders. It became a Herculean task for the police and security agencies to make adequate bandobast arrangements as people kept pouring in from both Andhra and Maharashtra, especially Sushilkumar Shinde's home town Solapur. The Raj Bhavan lawns were overflowing with people during the ceremony.

 

After a brief chat with the media, the Governor went to the main mansion; and then it became almost impossible to control the people who wanted to greet him. It was only around 8 pm that the ADC and PA found a chance to brief Sushilkumar Shinde on Raj Bhavan employees, policies and procedures, appointments, functions, tours inside and out of the state and other related matters. By the time the briefing was over, it was 10.15 pm.

 

In the end, he asked about the general time schedule. Kaushik replied. "Sir, the office hours start at 10.30 am. At 11.30 am, the Governor starts meeting people. From 1 pm to 2.30 pm, His Excellency can spend time with mail or dictation to PA, then go for lunch and rest for some time. In the evening, if there is some appointment or function, he may come to the office. Otherwise, he can spend time on hobbies like painting or reading."

 

With a mischievous smile, he shot back, "Oh, then I have to start learning painting now!" To the befuddled officials, he explained, with a laugh, "I sleep four hours a day and work 18 hours. I don't know how I shall pass my time here."

 

From the very next day, VIPs and common people from all over AP started thronging Raj Bhavan to greet Sushilkumar Shinde. The interactions used to start at 11 am and continue till 8 pm with a one-hour lunch break. Sushilkumar Shinde made it a point to finish all scheduled appointments by 2 pm so that his personal staff could go for lunch on time.

 

Another departure from established practice was equally telling. The earlier tradition in Raj Bhavan was that the delegations or individual visitors were served tea in the ADC office so as to save time in the Governor's presence. Sushilkumar Shinde instructed that any senior civil or defence officer who came to call should be served tea with him.

 

Hundreds of people continued coming from Maharashtra, Karnataka and, of course, AP. The instruction to the guard room of Raj Bhavan was that anyone who comes to the gates should be allowed inside with intimation to the ADC.

The biggest surprise was yet to come. It was Diwali on 12 November. Sushilkumar Shinde had expressed the desire that he and his family members would celebrate Diwali with the children of Raj Bhavan employees. He issued specific instructions that he would love to see his grandchildren mingling with the children of class four employees. Everyone in Raj Bhavan was thrilled and touched as such a gesture would be happening for the first time after a gap of 15 years. But there was more in store.

 

Coincidentally, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, was to visit Hyderabad on 14 November. Sushilkumar Shinde decided to invite the PM to join. Dr Singh, thus, was the first dignitary received by Shinde as Governor of AP. He accompanied the PM and attended the launch of the ‘Food for Work Programme'. In the evening. The PM was to come and distribute sweets to children. The Special Protection Group made the children stand In a line: but Sushilkumar Shinde didn't like this. He ensured that Dr Singh came to the main lawns and greeted every child. The Governor too gave Diwali gifts to the entire Raj Bhavan staff. He also invited the staff officers and their spouses for high tea.

 

"We were gradually coming to terms with the pace of Shindeji’s style of functioning. For instance, 27 November started with a meeting with students from J&K, followed by a Salar Jung museum board meeting. As soon as it was over, at 1 pm, we boarded a flight for Bangalore to catch a connecting flight to Pune to attend the marriage of Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi's son. From Pune, we went to Mumbai. En route, we halted at Lonavala at Sushilkumar Shinde's residence. In Mumbai, Sushilkumar Shindeji Invited outgoing Maharashtra Governor Mohammed Fazal for a farewell dinner." Kaushik says.

 

He had a unique idea. He sought to call on the President of India and inform him about his during the six months. He prepared a report and presented it to the President at a meeting that lasted 35 minutes.

 

On 20 July he hosted high tea for the freedom fighters from AP. This was the first time in the recent past that freedom fighters were given this honour. The old people were so thrilled that they were all praise for the Governor.

 

As Governor, Sushilkumar Shinde would invite leading lights of AP to his house for various occasions. He made many friends in Hyderabad during his brief tenure. The Shinde magic was working at Its full force. The people used to visit the royal court of the Nizam found a kindred soul in Sushilkumar Shinde’s regal demeanour. But he took care that in all the 15 months he was Governor, he never made a political statement.