Getting Natwar to fall in line

Manmohan Singh has killed two birds with one stone by his decision to retain the External Affairs portfolio. He will have the run of the ministry at a time when the Indo-US nuclear talks are at a delicate stage, besides which US President George Bush is slated to visit India in February. At the same time the PM signalled to Natwar Singh that by not giving the department to someone else, he was keeping the seat warm for him until his name was cleared.

But whatever be the intended signals, one thing is amply clear. Natwar Singh will not go back to External Affairs in the foreseeable future, whatever the outcome of the Pathak and Dayal probes. Even more damaging to him than the Volcker report are the spate of statements he made in obvious desperation. Even his statement, “I did not go to see Strobe Talbott, Condoleezza Rice came to see me”, was surprising for a seasoned diplomat like him to make.

Most important for both Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi was the necessity to distance the Congress party from Natwar Singh. Had he quit on day one, it would have been an admission of guilt and would have by association brought the Congress party in the firing line. As it is, the BJP is already training its guns at the Congress, and at Sonia Gandhi. The Winter Session of Parliament promises to be a turbulent one, although one of the curious aspects of the whole controversy was the silence of senior BJP and NDA leaders on the issue. By retaining Natwar Singh as Cabinet minister, the UPA has indicated that it has bowed to pressure for an inquiry, and Manmohan Singh has chosen two men to head the probe who are known for their competence. By removing Natwar Singh as head of the Foreign Office, it has tried to indicate a desire for a fair probe.

But damage control is one thing, the image of the party — which has taken a beating — quite another. There comes a moment in the life of a government when things begin to turn and it then becomes a downhill slide from that point. So far the Manmohan Singh government has benefitted from a BJP being in disarray. For a spell, it was possible for the government to hide behind the argument of “coalitional compulsions” when it came to the induction of “tainted” ministers. But this cannot go on indefinitely. There is also a limit to which the prime minister can hide behind the image of being “a decent man, unable to do much”.

The Congress needs to do some soul-searching. Clearly, some of the party’s troubles stem from its slow political reflexes, whether in Goa, or in Jharkhand, or when Jagdish Tytler had to quit after the Nanavati Report, or now with Natwar Singh. When it finally acted, it was seen as a case of too little being done, too late, and done under pressure.

By making Natwar Singh a minister without portfolio, the UPA has set a precedent for the future. Every time there is a minister against whom there is an allegation, or there is one who is chargesheeted, the temptation would be to make him a Minister Without Portfolio. In other words, he would not have a specific responsibility, but would enjoy the perks of power. It is not even clear where — or if — Natwar Singh will have an office, although he is hoping to remain a member of the CCPA (Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs) and the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security).

It is time, then, for political parties to evolve a consensus on the course of action they will adopt when ministers face an inquiry, or are charged. It’s also high time they took a serious view on what they intend to do about the oft-invoked but lightly taken institution of the Lok Pal, which they had promised to set up years ago.