Bhadralok in Washington?

Ever since he retired from Indian Foreign Service, former foreign secretary Shyam Saran has been considered to be Ambassador-in-waiting for the United States.

Working from the Prime Minister’s Office as the special representative to help the Manmohan Singh government clinch the Indo-US nuclear deal, Saran may be amused by recent goings-on in the External Affairs Ministry over the appointment of Ronen Sen’s successor in Washington.

From nowhere the name of Kanwal Sibal, Saran’s predecessor who went on to serve a term as Indian Ambassador in Moscow, had figured for the Ambassador’s job in the US. Certainly, that hasn’t helped Saran’s case.

But External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, it is said, are sensing an opportunity to set a precedent. Serving IFS officers are seldom considered for the top diplomatic post. Taking pretext of a contest for the post between two former foreign secretaries, Mukherjee and Menon are believed to be pushing forward the candidature of Satyabrata Pal, currently India’s High Commissioner in Islamabad, for the plum posting in Washington.

For Menon, Pal is a very close friend. He would be helping a friend. For, Mukherjee, it makes good political sense. As he prepares to win a second time in the Lok Sabha elections from Bengal, helping a fellow-Bengali is not such a very bad idea. After all, hasn’t he tried to keep his Bengali constituency in good humour during the last almost four hears of his ministerial tenure?

Ask mediapersons from the state in case of any doubt on this count.

K Subrahmanya

Tiger holds no awe for FM

Finance Minister P Chidambaram may be known for his articulation on any difficult topic but if you expect him to give details of any subject under the sun you may be asking too much.
Only recently, Chidambaram was briefing newspersons about the decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

One of the decisions related to the funding for Tiger Projects during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan.
Chidambaram was explaining how the funds earmarked for the Tiger Project would be spent for various tiger parks.

“Most of the amount will be used for rehabilitation and settlement of people living in tiger areas,” Chidambaram explained.

“Sir what about the tigers? Is there any fund earmarked for tigers?” asked a scribe.
The Minister explained how increasing human encroachment of tiger habitat was coming in the way of increasing population of tigers.

Thus rehabilitation of people living inside tiger parks and sanctuaries will help in tiger conservation.
Then another scribe asked about tiger census in each and every tiger projects.
Probably that was too much for Chidambaram.

“I hope you should reserve some questions for the Ministry,” he remarked before switching over to next decision of the CCEA.

A scribe was heard whispering to another, “Thank God. If Chidambaram would have further extended the question and answer session on tiger somebody would have asked: How many tigers have become man-eaters?”

Aditya Raj Das