The MEA disowns responsibility for the retrogressive step of barring women journalists from attending the press conference by Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, at the Afghan embassy in Delhi on October 10. The ministry’s position is that it cannot interfere in the decision of a sovereign state within its embassy. But the argument is not that simple. Until India officially recognises the Taliban government, its representatives cannot claim possession of the Afghan embassy. And while the Vienna convention mandates for the host nation to ensure the security of the inmates of a foreign embassy, the embassy in turn is expected to adhere to the country’s laws. In India, gender discrimination is an offence. Within two days, the Taliban tried to make amends for its much criticised exclusion of women by inviting them to Muttaqi’s second press conference. The women journalists made no concessions to the Taliban dress code. In fact, one spunky scribe wore a short dress with a low neckline. There were two exceptions — one woman wore a hijab, the other a burkha. They explained apologetically to colleagues that their beat included covering Afghanistan and they could not afford to offend the government there.
A retired Indian diplomat recalls that even in Pakistan there are occasions when the “men only” rule persists. In the 1980s, an official delegation from New Delhi’s foreign office visited Pakistan and then President Zia-ul-Haq invited all the visiting Indians to tea, except the sole woman. When Ambassador S K Singh pointed out the omission, an invitation was sent. But when the woman under secretary arrived, she was politely ushered to the zenana section. Since her specific responsibility was to take notes of the meeting, the interaction went unrecorded!
Considering the vast sums India spent on the Trump family in his first term, US Ambassador Sergio Gor’s gift for Narendra Modi from the US President – a signed photograph of the two leaders – appeared rather modest. (According to records from the Biden Presidency, the Trump family was bestowed 17 unreported gifts from India with a total estimated value of $47,000, including a costly vase, a model of the Taj Mahal, cufflinks, a designer charm bracelet for Melania and a silk rug and silver Charminar sculpture for Ivanka.) More than the cost of the offering, eyebrows were raised at the choice of the photograph. Instead of the several bear hugs and handshake shots available, the framed photograph is of the two men standing stiffly on separate rostrums addressing a joint press conference in Washington this February. Trump has scribbled with a marker pen the cordial message “Mr PM, you are Great’’, but it is well known that while Trump revels in speaking extempore, Modi is known to prefer one-on-one interactions rather than press conferences.
It is customary for the BJP’s media managers to ask others to re-tweet messages. The practice is to help the BJP frame the narrative, but in reality, it makes party leaders and those dependent on the government’s goodwill, even national sportspersons, look like a flock of sheep, repeating near identical messages on X. Former Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi recently let the cat out of the bag by not just re-tweeting the message on Happy Air Force Day sent to her from a senior minister’s media team, but the accompanying instructions as well. “I have switched to Zoho Mail. Kindly note the changed address, etc…’’, she tweeted using her actual email address!
The unspoken peace pact between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was finally broken this month following the brutal attack on BJP MP Khagen Murmu in Jalpaiguri. Modi took to X to blast Banerjee’s government for its apathy. Banerjee retorted that the TMC could not be blamed without evidence, but she hastily visited the injured MP. Until now Banerjee had trained her guns solely on Amit Shah, whom she often refers to sarcastically as number 2. Between Modi and Banerjee there was a fairly cozy relationship with neither criticising the other directly. Even the RSS in West Bengal largely keeps its distance from political issues, since it has little in common with BJP chief Suvendhu Adhikari. who is originally from the TMC. State governor C V Ananda Bose maintained a low profile, unlike his combative and very vocal predecessor Jagdeep Dhankar. Bose has been on the back foot ever since allegations of misconduct against him surfaced. But after the Jalpaiguri incident, with blood oozing from Murmu’s head, Shah has made clear that with Assembly elections due next year it is not acceptable for Sangh Parivar members to sit on the fence. That Banerjee will now face the heat from the extended saffron family was evident after the recent gang rape of a medical student in Durgapur. Governor Bose was quick to go on the offensive against the Mamata government. A section of the ruling party even advocates imposing President’s rule before the Assembly poll.
