SHILLONG:
Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd.) was on October 4 sworn in as the Governor of Meghalaya after the tenure of Satya Pal Malik ended.
Mishra, who is also the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, was given additional charge of Meghalaya.
The new Governor, who was born on July 20, 1939, had retired from the Indian Army on July 31, 1995, following a career that began as a permanent regular infantry officer on December 17, 1961.
He was the commander of the NSG (Black Cat Commandos) Counter Hijack Task Force that assaulted the hijacked aircraft of Indian Airlines and successfully executed the rescue operation, at Raja Sansi Airfield, Amritsar on April 24, 1993. All 124 travellers and crew members were rescued in the operation after the hijackers were eliminated without any casualty or damage. Mishra received the Prime Minister’s appreciation for his role in ending this hijack crisis.
Speaking after his appointment as Governor, Mishra revealed that he was in the state during the Bangladesh liberation war of 1971, and said, “We participated in the war and defeated Pakistan.”
He also praised the state and its people, saying that they are wonderful and he was impressed by its cleanliness.
Meanwhile, former governor Malik, who was not given an extension, had been very vocal against the Narendra Modi government, especially during the farmers’ agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws, despite being in the Governor’s office.