Srinagar, April 17 -- Few political leaders inspire admiration that transcends public office, but Nitish Kumar stands as a rare exception. My association with him dates back to his tenure as Union Minister for Railways, a period when his reputation as a thoughtful and effective administrator had already begun to take shape. However, it was in the early 2000s, during a visit to the Dr. RP Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, that I came to know him more personally. What struck me then-and continues to define him-was not merely his stature as a national leader, but his profound empathy for ordinary citizens. It was through his initiative that a dedicated railway booking counter was established at AIIMS,...