Inside track

The conversation indicated that the ISI chief was totally in the dark about the plan and the general kept evading his suspicious queries. The ISI chief even piously wanted to know what could be done to lessen the tensions between the two countries, as Prime Minister Sharif desired this. Before going public, George should have treated the contents of the tapewith slightly more scepticism. It is highly unlikely that RAW would be able to tape such a high-powered conversation. It appears to be the handiwork of the more resourceful CIA, which helpfully passed it on to the Indian intelligence agency. The conversation sounds stage-managed for the benefit of the Americans. The pious sentiments expressed by the ISI chief were clearly meant for the eavesdroppers, so that the Sharif Government could later plead innocence about what the army was up to. Haven8217;t we all seen the scene in the movies in which the hero deliberately speaks into the hidden microphone? For the Defence Minister to have straightaway accepted the contents of the tape as gospel truth shows his naivete.

Ever reluctant

The Vajpayee Government would like George Fernandes to resign gracefully, but the maverick minister has no intention of stepping down. Former socialists claim they are not hungry for office but as we all know, they do not easily relinquish it either.

When the Vajpayee Cabinetwas being put together, the initial proposal was to appoint Fernandes minister for railways, since he had once held this portfolio. Fernandes refused, claiming he was not interested in a ministerial berth. In the process of persuading a reluctant Fernandes to accept a ministry, the powerful and prestigious Defence portfolio, which was to have gone to Ramakrishna Hegde, landed in his lap. Hegde sportingly took the Commerce portfolio instead.

Hidden growth

In his Budget, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha called for tighter belts all around in the Government. To set an example, four secretary-level posts were to be pruned right away. But in the past six months, the number of secretaries to the Government has actually increased. To cite some instances, the posts of Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, Director General of Capart, Director General for Small Scale Industries and Secretary, Export Promotion Zone NOIDA, were all upgraded to the rank of full secretary. Incidentally, thepost of head of the Export Promotion Zone NOIDA has been upgraded steadily from joint to additional to full secretary over the years.

Dual policy

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pramod Mahajan rejected TV Today8217;s request for an extension for the Aaj Tak news bulletin on Doordarshan and insisted it would have to alter its format to a current affairs programme. Mahajan8217;s rationale was that there was enough in-house talent in overstaffed Doordarshan to produce its own TV news bulletins. Besides, Aaj Tak8217;s bulletin would create a dual editorial policy on DD news.

Mahajan seems to have changed his opinion. He has introduced three-minute news bulletins every hour on the national network and the contract has been awarded to the private Asian News International ANI. ANI has launched a recruitment drive to meet its commitment. Mahajan8217;s reliance on a private company for news bulletins possibly stems from his doubts about the DD staff8217;s loyalty to the BJP Government in the run-up to theelections. Recently, he put down the Prasar Bharati employees8217; strike and refused to concede their demands.

ANI has a cosy relationship with whichever government comes to power, from Rajiv Gandhi to I.K. Gujral. Its proximity to Mahajan has incidentally nothing to do with the fact that L.K. Advani8217;s daughter works for the TV company. In such matters, even Advani8217;s detractors concede he is very scrupulous.

Unthinking tank

In the light of the Himalayan security blunder which allowed intruders to sneak 6 km into Indian territory, there is fresh curiosity about the role of the high-profile National Security Council. It was set up with a lot of fanfare last year and some two dozen experts in the field of strategic studies were inducted on the advisory board.

The board, one learns, has been extremely active, meeting almost every other week over lunch. Outstation members are entitled to executive-class air fare. But no paper of any great consequence on strategic studies has been produced so far.Moreover, the core strategic policy group, consisting of the heads of various intelligence agencies, the three service chiefs, the Foreign Secretary and the Home Secretary, has, to my knowledge, not met even once.