For Mehta, It Was Just Another Day

Devendra Raj Mehta's last day in office at the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) headquarters at the first floor of Mittal Court B-wing at Nariman Point in South Mumbai was like any other day. Mehta was surrounded by journalists all through the day. Never for a moment, did the 6-feet tall outgoing Sebi chief looked tired.

Even as he was outlining his plans for the future to the media, the peons were busy doing the clean-up act. Never known for his time management, the outgoing Sebi chairman was his usual self as he tried to attend to too many things at the same time - overseeing his belongings being carried to his car, answering questions from journalists eager for a sound-bite and signing documents brought in by his colleagues.

 

In the midst of the chaos, he would ask his officials often: Woh aaya nahi ab tak? (He hasn't come yet). The reference was to his successor, LIC chairman G N Bajpai.

One of his two secretaries - who has been associated with Sebi since 1998 and has seen many chiefs - said: "I am waiting to see the new person. You always feel nervous on the first day." On being asked whether she felt sad seeing Mehta leave, she was rather philosophical in saying "This is life... We've been through so many chairmen."

The stoicism was seen when one of the security guards said, "Isme kya hai...ek aur naya admi aayega. (So what's great about it, another new person will join).

The attitude of Sebi employees was curiously ambivalent. There was no sense of loss among the people in the organisation who were apprehensive about the new incumbent. A few old timers agreed that Mehta had pushed together a lot of reforms. A predominant feeling was that perhaps he had attempted to do too much in too little time and got bitten in the process.

Mehta, in a two hour-long interaction with the press, rode his favourite hobby horse: his Jaipur Foot foundation. Going beyond, he is now planning to alleviate the lot of those who have been afflicted with leprosy. He also said that he would like to form a 5000-tree park.