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(A speech delivered at the inauguration of R. Kevichusa Memorial Chapel on July 10, 2024)
I met a certain gentleman in January of 1984 when I joined Nagaland government service as a Horticulture Officer in the Department of Agriculture. At that time, he was the Joint Director in charge of Irrigation, Agri-Engineering, Motor, and Vehicle in the Department of Agriculture.
R. Kevichusa was his official name, but we called him Khrielie Kevichusa.
He was a kind-hearted man who understood the problems of his junior officers. Agriculture is one of the biggest and oldest departments in the state. Officers and staff from the districts and the directorate frequently faced numerous problems. Everyone with a problem went to him. He was always ready to help his officers and staff when they approached him with an issue. He knew how to solve the problems in the department. Although he had senior officers above him, most junior officers and staff went to him for any type of problem. Sometimes, when the problem became tough, he guided his officers and was always by the side of the officer facing the issue. He was a well-known officer not only in the Agriculture department but in all government departments, both in the directorate and the secretariat.
He was well-versed in government rules and procedures. He had no hesitation in teaching his junior officers the rules and procedures of the government. When a file was put up to him, he grasped the whole point in no time, meticulously examined it, and, with his beautiful command of English, cleared the matter immediately. He never kept any file pending for the next day or another day. When we attended high-profile meetings with him, both in the state and outside the state, we felt secure because we knew he could handle the subject matter of the department and answer any type of query.
He was always frank and straightforward in his approach. He was a man who called a spade a spade; he never beat around the bush.
He was a man of vision. He wanted to see the people of Nagaland prosper. When it came to helping poor farmers, he left no stone unturned, even beyond the call of his duties. He always motivated, encouraged, and pushed the farmers toward progressive prosperity. He was a mission-minded person, always concerned about sending out missionaries. He regularly talked about how our Nagaland Churches had promised to send out ten thousand missionaries, and how it could be achieved through agriculture and its allied sector. He said that when our farmers become rich through farming, they would surely give their tithes to the church, and the church would become rich, making it easier to send out missionaries. Whenever work was given to the farmers to construct irrigation channels, he never compromised on the quality of work. Despite his busy schedule in the office, he personally went to the project site to verify the workmanship. If the work was not done as per the specifications, he would politely say that the bill would not be released until the work was completed as specified in the work order, and he kept his word firmly.
As the officer in charge of Motor and Vehicle in the department, he always ensured that officers posted in the most remote places got better vehicles. He showed no favouritism, tribalism, or partiality to any staff or officer. He was always polite, fair, and firm in his decisions. He could mix with all levels of officers and staff with a caring and positive attitude. Those qualities made everyone respect and look up to him in the department.
Let me cite a personal encounter with this fine gentleman. In 1986, I was using an old Mahindra Jeep, and the tyres of my vehicle were worn out, so I went to him with a request for four tyres, and he sanctioned them. Unfortunately, my aunt got sick and was hospitalised, so I used half of the money for her treatment and could only buy two tyres. After a few weeks, I went back to Sir Khrielie Kevichusa to request for another two tyres. He was surprised and asked, “Did I not sanction four tyres some time back?”. Knowing him and his quality, I spoke the truth, saying my aunt was hospitalised and I used half of the money for her treatment. For a moment, he looked at me and kept quiet. Then he pressed the calling bell and sent his peon to call the UDA in charge of the vehicle file. When she came, he told her to put up for two more tyres for me. This was the kind of senior officer we had in Sir R. Kevichusa, who liked people that spoke the truth and were courageous enough to admit their faults or mistakes.
Today, the Department of Land Resources is one of the performing departments in the state. This department was his brainchild. He started this department from scratch as the Secretary. I still remember how he taught me to start a new department. Sometimes, we worked till late at night by candlelight, and I learned a lot from him. Those are days I can never erase from my memories.
There are four things in life that are admired in a person, whether in a government job, private sector, or society: Honesty, Efficiency, Sincerity, and Humility. If a person possesses all these qualities, he/she is described as an outstanding person in the society. Some people are honest in whatever they do, but they lack the other three qualities. Some people are very efficient but lack honesty, sincerity, and humility. Again, some people are sincere in their work but lack honesty, efficiency, and humility. But Sir R. Kevichusa had all these qualities. He was an honest officer without any doubt, upright, and a man of integrity. No one, whether in the office or outside, could question his integrity. He was a role model for his officers. He was someone we always looked up to. In eighteen years of working under him in different capacities, I never saw him lose his temper. He was always cool, calm, and lively.
From the core of my heart, in the proper state of my mind, I testify that Sir Khrielie Kevichusa possessed all these qualities. He was truly an asset to our society.
He was the first engineer to be inducted into the All India Services as an IAS officer, a position every Indian would like to hold. People whose performance is outstanding in their service records get this type of opportunity, and he deserved every bit of it. Normally, anyone in the All India cadre writes IAS suffixing their names, but Sir Kevichusa never used this greatly admired title in all his official matters. This shows how humble and down-to-earth he was.
After retirement, he was offered the post of Chairman of NPSC, one of the most coveted and prestigious jobs in the state. It was another challenging assignment. But he did an excellent job in keeping the Commission in order, and everyone appreciated his transparency and integrity.
Aunty Ethel Kevichusa, the wife of R. Kevichusa, was an amazing lady. Although she was the wife of my superior officer, she wanted me to call her Aunty instead of Madam. Her outlook on life, humility, and simplicity were beyond description.
I visited Sir Khrielie Kevichusa in his last days at his home. He was on his sickbed. At that time, I was still in service as Head of the Department. With his acute presence of mind, he remembered most of the officers' names and asked me how they were doing. He also advised me on how a Head of Department should function. I am so grateful to him.
Today, he is no longer with us, but we know he is in a much better place. We cherish the sweet memories of our lives together on earth. We miss him dearly, but we know one day we will meet him in God’s glory.
Hoto Yeptho
Retired Director
Land Resources