Former Maharashtra governor P.C. Alexander passes away

Dr P.C. Alexander, 90, who died in Chennai on Wednesday, will go down in the history of Maharashtra not only as the longest-serving governor but also as one of its finest who enjoyed the respect of both the then government and opposition parties. "Dr Alexander brought to bear his vast experience as an international diplomat while discharging his duties as the Governor of the state and it would be fair to say that he created benchmarks for fellow  and future governors," said the present Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan in a condolence message to the late governor's family. Alexander is survived by his wife Ackama and sons Jawahar and Ashok.   After serving as the the governor of Tamil Nadu from 1988 to 1990, he became Maharashtra's governor from 1993-2002, after which he was considered as a candidate for the post of the President of India. Apart from several posts with the United Nations and as the Indian High Commissioner to Britain, one of the highpoints in his career included his appointment as the Principal Secretary to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sankaranarayanan described him as an "outstanding administrator who discharged the special responsibility under Article 371(2) cast upon him by the President of India for the development of backward regions of the state with great vision and foresight". He said Alexander commanded "supreme respect both from the Treasury and the Opposition benches because of his dignified and impartial conduct".