Chavan is also incorruptible and cannot be influenced in administrative matters. I remember approaching the Chief Minister at the time of my by-election in the Nagpada Constituency. It was a crucial test and had become a prestige fight between the Congress and the Samiti. Some of the Congress workers were anxious that one of the men who had been served with an externment order should be allowed to remain in that area because of the influence he commanded there. I, therefore, approached Chavan and impressed upon him the necessity to cancel the externment order. He listened to me sympathetically and directed me to see Mr. A. R. Dias, the then Home Secretary. After a fortnight I rang up the Chief Minister and reminded him about the case. He asked me to come over and see him at the Sachivalaya. I did so. He looked at me and said, "I am sorry, Rafiq, but I cannot help you. I realise that the man would be of great help to us in the by-election; but I have spent more than an hour on his file and my conscience does not permit me to cancel the order." There was little that I could say thereafter. It was a firm no but said so politely and conscientiously that I was speechless.
Humble as Ever
Again, power has not gone to Chavan's head. He remains as humble as ever. I remember speaking to him on the same day that Jayaprakash Narayan had described him as the ablest Chief Minister; his reaction was typical of the man. He told me, "Of course, I am pleased but such high praise frightens me." The desire to do better and to prove worthier of the responsibility is basic to the thinking of Chavan. He is happiest when he has fulfilled the people's expectations; that gives him the best tonic.
In politics he is more to the left than to the right. He has often emphasized that the three fundamentals which govern his outlook are: (1) Unity of India; (2) Democratic way of life; and (3) Socialistic reconstruction. True, like Nehru his basic approach is Marxist, but again like Nehru he does not believe that Marx was infallible. That was why Royism exerted such a deep influence on him; butas he has himself explained"more in a philosophical sense than political." He liked the manner in which Roy gave a concrete solution to India's patriotic urge, particularly his formulation of the idea of a Constituent Assembly.
Chavan does not like to be described as a Nehruite because he is not in favour of such nomenclatures, but his acceptance of what the Prime Minister stands for is unequivocal. He is in full agreement with Nehru's "basic and fundamental approach to our problems both national and international". Moreover, as he puts it, "Nehru is after all my leader and I accept his leadership without any reservation."