Vajpayee is not singled out, Govt should have ignored it

The Indian political establishment is acutely sensitive when it comes to matters personal on political leaders. Ronald Reagan slept a lot an...

The Indian political establishment is acutely sensitive when it comes to matters personal on political leaders. Ronald Reagan slept a lot and was reported widely in the American media for his sleeping and movie watching habits. To raise questions about the physical and mental health of a leader is a valid question although they might assume an exaggerated importance when seen in the backdrop of the recent Indo-Pak tension. They don’t certainly single out Vajpayee as a less-able leader to lead his country. So what, if he occasionally drinks. The Government should have ignored the article completely.
Khozem Merchant,
Financial Times, london

Conclusion doesn’t quite fit the premise, it’s more complex

If the intent of the piece is to show that the decision for pushing the nuclear button is in the hands of a man whose judgement is flawed because of his personal habits, I would be hesitant to come to that conclusion. I do not see the connection between the two.

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India is a complex phenomenon and one needs an innate understanding of the broad Indian spirit to see how it functions. India does not work through the hands of one single individual.

Having said that, if anything vengeful is intended against the correspondent, I would oppose it outright. The Government has sent a rejoinder and we should leave it at that.
Sudip Mazumdar
Newsweek

77-yr-old on the brink of war, questions will be asked

Having read only parts of the article by Alex Perry I feel there is nothing that has not been written before. The Indian Government should have put a spirited response befitting the stature of the nation we are or want to become if they found the article flawed. Better still, they should have left it to the Prime Minister himself known for his wit and candour to reply. Its not clear what the Government is objecting to.

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When you have a 77-year old leader who heads a nation that is at the brink of war, various questions will arise and may be one of the aspects is his personal life. In the American press, every single detail of a politician’s life is open to scrutiny.
Padma Rao
Der Spiegel

If Bush chokes on a pretzel, he tells the nation about it

I can’t see why the Government is getting so excited at something that has been written before and photographed before innumerable times in the Indian press. A more mature way would be to ignore it.

I do not know whether the excitement is because the article is in a foreign journal and not in an Indian newspaper.

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I think we have become too sensitive. If the American president chokes on a pretzel, he informs his people about his health. The media is obsessed about his health and his abilities to govern. The fact is the Indian Prime Minister is unwell and is not all there.

India is a large country and can’t be damaged by a small article on the Prime Minister’s health.
Rahul Bedi
The Daily Telegraph