Talk to Me

As head of the crisis management group formed to secure the release of the three Indians, the Minister of State has marshalled his forces well. While he may be still finding his feet in South Block, Ahamed8217;s knowledge of the Middle-East and his vast contacts in that area have stood him in good stead as he negotiates the hurdles, one by one.

The unexpected ace for India in this game of nerves is his familiarity with the Arabic language. In fact, the first appeal from India for securing the release of the hostages was made by Ahamed in Arabic; it went a long way in confirming the country8217;s commitment to friendly ties with Iraq in particular and the region as a whole. The fluency comes from his years of association with Keralite Muslims, many of whom reside in the Gulf.

Since many people from Manjeri, his constituency, are working in the Gulf, Ahamed says he always maintained cordial relations with leaders in the region. 8216;8216;Today there is a school in UAE, a hospital in Muscat and many Indian educational societies where I have played a role. I have intervened on several occasions to help the Gulf NRI community.8217;8217;

He agrees that his contacts and familiarity with the region 8212; he headed a fact-finding team to Saudi Arabia after the Mina fire tragedy in 1997 8212; have helped him in dealing with the current crisis. While refusing to give any details, he says, 8216;8216;All this has helped me very much. Particularly, my appeal in Arabic was very well received.8217;8217;

The comfort levels, however, will not lead to complacency, assures Ahamed. Well aware that each and every step is under scrutiny, the team has been doubly careful. That8217;s probably what has avoided an embarrassment such as the one faced by the Kenyan foreign minister, who prematurely announced the release of the hostages.

As a member of the Indian Union Muslim League, Ahamed has partnered the Congress in Kerala for many years now. The first person to spot his abilities and give him an opportunity, he says, was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. 8216;8216;In 1984, the Commerce Ministry headed then by former PM V P Singh asked me to head a trade delegation to the GCC. Mrs Gandhi specifically asked me to be her special emissary, besides leading the delegation. I hand-delivered her messages to almost all the heads of state in the Middle-East,8217;8217; he says.

And her daughter-in-law kept up the family tradition. 8216;8216;It is only because of Congress president Sonia Gandhi that a man belonging to what was once known as the community of water-carriers and woodcutters is sitting here. She chose to give me this responsibility,8217;8217; says Ahamed.

At that point, of course, the hostage crisis wasn8217;t even a blip on the horizon. Resolution may be still some way off, but officials are unanimous there couldn8217;t have been a better man to head the CMG. As India8217;s representative to the UN General Assembly for six consecutive years, Ahamed mastered the language of diplomacy. Now to see how well it translates in Arabic.