A Presidential Reception and an Assignment I Will Always Remember

 A Presidential Reception and an Assignment I Will Always Remember

By John Aguiar

Some assignments remain etched in one’s professional memory not merely because of the importance of the occasion, but because of the responsibility and trust associated with them. For me, organising the civic reception of President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind during his first presidential visit to Goa on July 7, 2018, was one such assignment.

At the time, I was serving as an Information Officer, and my Department appointed me as the Nodal Officer for organising the civic reception, as our Department was the host Department for the event. I considered the responsibility a great honour.

The President attended a grand civic reception hosted by the Government of Goa in Panaji. Goa Governor Smt. Mridula Sinha, Chief Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar and several senior leaders and officials were present.

My first responsibility was to identify and finalise a suitable auditorium. Our first preference was the Taleigao Community Centre. I personally visited the venue, but learnt that a wedding had already been scheduled there on the same day. We therefore turned our attention to the NIO Auditorium at Dona Paula.

At a subsequent meeting at the Chief Minister’s Office, the Secretary to the Hon’ble Chief Minister, an IAS officer, questioned me about why the Taleigao Community Centre had not been finalised. When I explained that a wedding had already been booked there, he suggested that the booking be cancelled.

Chief Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar immediately intervened. He felt that it would not be proper to cancel the wedding booking, as the family would already have made all the necessary arrangements. His intervention settled the issue.

Constant Coordination with Rashtrapati Bhavan

I was in constant touch with Rashtrapati Bhavan throughout the preparations. Major Conrad Fernandes, an ADC of the rank of Major from the Maratha Regiment and a native of Mangaluru, was my principal point of contact. We coordinated extensively on protocol, stage arrangements, speakers, seating and the audience.

The coordination with Rashtrapati Bhavan extended even to the publicity material. The banners and advertisements proposed for the civic reception had to be submitted to and approved by Rashtrapati Bhavan. There were strict instructions regarding the use of the President’s photograph, and we were required to use only the approved photograph of the Hon’ble President.

This meant that even seemingly routine publicity material had to pass through the prescribed protocol before it could be released. As the Nodal Officer, I coordinated these requirements and ensured that the material complied with the instructions received from Rashtrapati Bhavan.

I also coordinated the welcome song and the Master of Ceremony. Every development had to be reported to my Director, Shri T. S. Sawant. I briefed him regularly so that he could keep the Chief Minister and other authorities informed about the progress.

A substantial portion of the President’s speech was also prepared by me. Since the occasion involved the President of India, every detail had to be carefully worked out.

One moment remains particularly memorable. I began the President’s speech with the Konkani greeting “Mhajea Mogall Goenkarano, Tumkam Saglleank maye mogacho namaskar " ,  deliberately retaining it in Devanagari script. I wanted the President to pronounce the Konkani greeting correctly.

And he did.

President Kovind pronounced it perfectly, drawing warm applause from the audience. The moment created a special connection between the President and the people of Goa.

The protocol arrangements were equally meticulous. There were two podiums on the stage—one exclusively for the President and another for the other speakers and the Master of Ceremony.

A large traditional samayee was presented by Chief Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar to President Kovind as a token of love and affection from the people of Goa.

The function went off smoothly. After the event, my Director, Shri T. S. Sawant, was full of praise for my efforts. His appreciation was particularly gratifying because I had personally coordinated several aspects of the programme from the initial preparations until the conclusion of the event.

But there was still one task left.

Two days later, Major Conrad Fernandes called me asking about the samayee presented to the President. We had to ensure that it reached Delhi.

We dismantled the samayee, got it properly packed through ESG and sent it to New Delhi by Air India Cargo. At the same time, Goa Sadan was informed to collect the consignment and arrange for its delivery to the President’s residence.

Only after this final responsibility was completed did I feel that my assignment was truly over.

Looking back, the civic reception remains one of the most memorable assignments of my career as an Information Officer. It taught me once again that an important government function is not merely about what is visible on the stage. Behind every successful event lies meticulous planning, constant coordination, protocol, communication and the ability to handle unexpected situations calmly.

I accepted the assignment as part of my official duty. But being entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating the civic reception of the President of India was, without doubt, an honour that I will always cherish.

Caption: President Speaks. Maj Conrad Fernandes is seen behind.