Will detoxify myself, go to Himalayas: CEC Rajiv Kumar on post-retirement plans

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday revealed his intention to "detoxify" himself and spend several months in solitude in the Himalayas post his retirement next month.

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Responding to a question while addressing a presser to announce the Delhi Assembly elections, he shared his post-retirement plans with an introspective touch.

"I will detoxify myself for the next four-five months, go to the Himalayas, be away from the glare of all of you. I need some 'ekant' (solitude) and 'swadhyay' (self-study)," Kumar, who is set to retire on February 18, said.

In October last year, Kumar was rescued from the remote Ralam village in Uttarkhand's Pithoragarh district following an emergency helicopter landing due to inclement weather and left stranded at over 12,000 feet.

Kumar, a 1984-batch IAS officer from the Bihar/Jharkhand cadre, also shared a personal aspiration to give back to society by teaching underprivileged children.

He recounted his humble beginnings, studying in a municipal school where classes were held under a tree.

"I started learning ABCD in the 6th class. We carried a slate and sat under a tree to study. As a passion, I want to go back to those roots and teach such children," he said.

Known for incorporating poetry into his addresses, Kumar used evocative couplets to underscore his messages.

Addressing some parties' tendency to question the Election Commission's integrity, he recited: "Aarop aur ilzamat ka daur chale koi gila nahi; jhooth ke gubbaron ko bulandi mile, koi shikwa nahi; har parinam me praman dete hain, par wo bina saboot shaq ki nai duniya raunak karte hain."