Room With A View - CBDT Chairman sits in Lord Mountbatten's Room
THE corner room in North Block which is the office of the CBDT Chairman has glorified history attached to it. This was the room occupied by Lord Mountbatten, when he took over as Governor General.
The backdoor of this room leads to a balcony overlooking the Rashrapati Bhavan and the majestic beauty of India's political authority. The door was closed for more than sixty years, maybe for security reasons. The present Chairman Sudhir Chandra, immediately after he took over as Chairman, got the door opened and the balcony is back in full regalia overlooking the majestic glory of Raisina Hills. Having a cup of tea there would perhaps be a nostalgic trip down memory line of India's political history. This is perhaps the height of heights for a balcony in India-but not everyone does get invited for tea at such heights!
There is yet another historic relic in the Chairman's room.
Legal Corner Icon — the image was hosted by the publisher and was not captured.The above inscription reads,
"Admiral The Lord Louis Mountbatten, G.C.V.O.K.C.B.D.S.O.A.D.C. Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command occupied this room from October 1943 till April 1944 and thereafter when present in New Delhi until the end of the War against Japan. The emblem of the South East Asia Command is also carved on the plaque within the pillared balcony outside this room."
Which bureaucrat can have such a glorious room?