Handling China

Tibetans may not be able to harass the Chinese in New Delhi, but they gave a headache to the Indians handling the Chinese in New Delhi early this week. When the foreign minister-level talks were to be held at the Taj Mahal Hotel on Mansingh Road, policemen barricaded access for fear of Tibetan protestors. So high was the security that even the head of the China desk in the MEA, Vijay Gokhale, had a tough time entering the hotel. The moment he had made his way to the lobby, he blasted the security and protocol personnel. The goof-up was apparent, as External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had reached the meeting venue much before Gokhale or his boss, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon, had arrived.