Tags:
Journalism of Courage
It8217;s tough to be a minister-in-waiting for a state guest whose security waits for no one. Kapil Sibal didn8217;t get a whole lot of chance to schmooze with President George Bush. But the brief interactions stolen under the eyes of protection officers and under the noses of security dogs, were pretty good. When Bush was told his minister-in-waiting was India8217;s sci-tech minister8212;this happened within minutes of Air Force One landing8212;Sibal received a trademark Dubya thump on the back: 8216;8216;You guys doing a great job8212; technology is the future.8217;8217; Arguably, one of the most extravagant compliments Sibal has received in his ministerial career. What Sibal told Bush8212;he got the chance after the US President had finished addressing the Purana Qila audience8212;seemed to have made the guest equally happy. 8216;8216;Hope Texas Rangers does well,8217;8217; he told Bush. Explanatory note: Texas Rangers is a baseball team. Bush is from Texas. He8217;s a baseball fan. He is a partner in the Texas Rangers management.
New kids on the North 038; South Block
Don8217;t be my guest
Some people fell sick around the time invitations for the Bush lunch reached them. Many more people in hierarchy-obsessed Delhi felt sick because they never got an invite. And some people saw a larger message in their absence from the guest list. The last would include Jairam Ramesh, a surprise omission from the PM8217;s Taj Palace bash. Those in the know say Dr Singh is not exactly fond of Jairam. Apparently, indications that Ramesh could have got a PMO job made the PM keep Prithviraj Chauhan with him in the last reshuffle. Chauhan was supposed to get power then Shinde would have got defence, and Pranab, foreign affairs. But clearly, keeping India foreign minister-less was worth keeping Jairam out of the PMO. Jairam, junior minister to Kamal Nath, is likely to stay where he is, in spite or may be because he is unhappy.
US and us-I
Here8217;s proof India can negotiate toughly with America. US security officials who went to Hyderabad to prepare for Bush8217;s visit there had arrived without visas. When Indian officials pointed out that this was stretching the definition of strategic partnership8212;Americans don8217;t allow similar facilities to Indian security teams that make preparatory visits before a PM trip8212;Bush8217;s team cited precedence. Apparently, during President Bill Clinton8217;s visit, visa-less peregrinations were allowed. That was then and this is now, Indian officials said. The MEA wrote a letter reminding guests that visas were mandatory. The 39 US personnel visiting Hyderabad were finally allowed to carry on with their job8212;but not before a stern reminder.
US and us-II
And here8217;s proof why India has to be tough with America: The Yanks wanted to videograph some of the capital8217;s most security sensitive locations, and they gained entry into AAI-controlled air traffic control towers. All this of course was not to, as excited Bush-bashers may think, interfere in India8217;s sovereignty. It was simply that American officials are absolutely hyper about presidential security and, therefore, ready to cut quite a few corners. So, to bypass the Home Ministry ban on aerial videography of Lutyens8217; Delhi, the Americans got the IAF to agree to a recce. Officials are still surprised why the IAF allowed this. But the Home Ministry shot it down even after the IAF clearance. Americans were allowed to take still photographs. Bush8217;s security team also used contacts in the AAI to visit air traffic control premises8212;not exactly a standard diplomatic procedure. The MEA, of course, shot off one of its many we-are-not-amused letters.
US and them
So, who do you think was loudest in voicing apprehensions that the Indo-US nuclear deal was going to cost the Congress Muslim votes? Arjun Singh, the grand old man of electoral secularism. Who do you think was second loudest? Ahmed Patel, the eyes and ears of 10 Janpath on electoral shifts. Who do you think wanted the deal to be postponed till Bengal elections were over? Pranabda. Who do you think was afraid that Maharashtra8217;s electoral calculus would be affected? Sushil Shinde. So, how do you think with so many worthies opposing the deal, it went through? Because, in part, some of them changed their mind. Pranabda played the perfect strategic visionary when the deal went through. Shinde on his part understood what cheap nuclear power can mean for power-starved Maharashtra.
FM tunes in
One more indication that Lalu Prasad Yadav is a reformist now: he8217;s hitting off with Chidambaram. The two are often seen in Parliament talking, with the FM usually holding his sides as he listens to vintage Lalu humour. Chidambaram returns the compliment by taking his cabinet colleague through the maze of parliamentary procedures. The FM was at hand when Lalu was piloting a bill, telling the latter what to read, how to read it. He even handed over a Hindi version of the bill. Lalu, mind you, ignored it, showing again how wrong we can be if we prejudge the man.
Bird of passage
You must have thought when bird flu hit the headlines that the health minister was right in the middle of crisis management. You were so very wrong. Moreover, you need to update your knowledge about deadly threats. If you8217;re a DMK politician, avian influenza is chicken feed compared to Jayalaithaa campaigning for another term. Tamil Nadu, in election mode now, has seen Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss struggling to remember his Delhi job. He came to the capital from Chennai 72 hours after the bird flu story broke. He came, he ate chicken, which is 8216;8216;safe8217;8217; and he flew back.
Gen with George
So, what did Bush tell Gen J J Singh, the army chief. Sarkari Delhi has been speculating madly ever since the US President, during introductions to distinguished guests at the Rashtrapati Bhavan do, spoke to Gen Singh for a full minute8212;that8217;s the equivalent of a one hour chat between ordinary people. The IAF, which may have had reason to feel a little left out the American guest just smiled and moved on when introduced to the air chief, felt justice had been done when Bush thanked the force for flying in relief for Hurricane Katrina victims. But the air wing of the armed forces would still like to very much know what the army chief was told.
