Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s gaffe in caricaturing Bangladesh as a potentially Islamist, ‘pro-ISI’, ‘anti-India’ nation has met with an appropriate response of outrage from Dacca. Now it seems Pakistan’s turn is coming to tell off Dr. Singh and the ‘Mohali spirit’ may just wither away. The former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has contested the advice given by PM to Pakistan to forget about Kashmir and concentrate instead on its internal turmoil. Maybe the next in turn will be the Buddhist clergy in Sri Lanka to take exception to the PM pointing finger at Sinhala chauvinism as the stumbling block to a settlement of the Tamil problem . Or, it can be a reassertion by Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa that she didn’t mean to indulge in doublespeak on the Sri Lankan Tamil problem - passing a resolution in the state assembly and then meeting Dr. Singh and telling him privately that she didn’t mean a word of what the resolution stated.
Indeed, almost everyone in China these days is busy with the celebrations over the 90th anniversary of the communist party and probably no one had time to read about PM’s advice not to believe in the statistics that Beijing dishes out and that the Chinese political system is “opaque”. But China will take note and it will hold in its memory what a poor opinion the erudite Indian PM really holds about that country. The issue is not whether Jamaat-i-Islami commands the allegiance of over 25% Bangladeshis - as PM has been led to believe; or whether Sinhala chauvinism isn’t indeed a fact of life; or even whether Pakistan has ever had any locus standii on Kashmir problem; or, leave alone, whether China’s word can be trusted. What emerges from PM’s press interaction is something else: His gaffe on Bangladesh is not an isolated case. He should never have spoken in the manner in which he did on any of India’s neighbouring countries. What he said smacks of hubris and we know PM is a modest man. So, this uncharacteristic indulgence in patronising remarks about neighbouring countries leapt straight out of the briefings offered by his aides.
Dacca, Colombo, Islamabad and Beijing would draw conclusions. They would have a better idea of the thought-processes that go on in the sequestered ‘Chanakyan’ mind, while professing goodwill. Our diplomacy gets hit. Surprisingly, none of PM’s aides who were present at the press interaction thought it fit to pass on a chit to him to remind him he was blithely blurting out things strictly meant for background information. They should know PM is a 78-year old man who works 18 hours a day and it is not humanly possible for him to be as alert as the prime minister of a country of a billion people ought to be. Maybe, when they brief PM for the next media interaction (hopefully, there will be another one), they should divulge to him only anodyne details so that the business of the Indian state isn’t impaired. ‘Yes, Prime Minister’.
Absolutely correct. What exactly is the P.M.doing 18 hours a day should be questioned. He has a bunch of ministers who have been alloted portfolios who I feel are unable to deliver results expected by the people.In actual fact they are working at cross purposes to the issues which they should be concentrating on.Each of these ministers have started airing their views and entering into each others (portfolios) jurisdictions to defend each others wrong doings, thereby not concentrating on the work that they are expected to carry out.What the P.M. has to do in the 18 hours that he works is to assess his minister’s performance,issue “RED” notes after initial warnings, oral and written fail to wake up the minister.
If there is still nonperformance, then he should boot them out one by one, and NOT change portfolios to save them.Ditto should be applicable to his bunch of advisors and bureaucrats.Time has come for the P.M. to have a set of strong vocal cords like how the Tenors and Bass opera singers have, and start improving on his own fragmented image or whatever is left of it. He can make a turnaround by a very strong commitment, and start by entering their respective offices with a whip in hand, thumping the minister’s desk and demanding answers there and then.Also once there is any wrong doing by the ministers on any matters, which any probe reveals, he must act and demand the minister to step down till investigations are completed, and if the alleged charges are proven, make the minister to resign forthwith.I am certain that if he initiates these drastic measures which should have been applied much before, his 18 hour daily stint would show amazing results, and a clear message to other incumbents to shape up or ship out. And last but not the least, he MUST make his OWN decisions, sweet or bitter,and not be dictated to by alleged magnetic forces.Glory will be to the P.M.if he be becomes a strong and no nonsense P.M,.and alters the image of India,and brings back his own self respect. This is what we the people of this nation demand without any preconditions. If on the other hand, P.M. you are hesitant or unable to be strong, then PLEASE RESIGN FORTHWITH. I still hope that you will see better days. Still with deep respect for you, Sincerely S.H.Mistry, Bandra(W),
Mumbai.
MMS has called a spade a spade - almost. Over the years India has conceded more than enough to her neighbors to live in harmony and peace. It can not continue to be a one way traffic, others would also have respond objectively. Time to speak out straight rather than being ‘diplomatic’ and suggestive.
However, as regards Bangladesh, the PM has shown lack of understanding of the ground reality and sensivity to Bengali culture.
No. He let down himself and the nation by not taking action on time against the corrupt aids after providing the info.
he is Dhritarashtra. He new everything but thought it would not get detetcted so carried on as usual. Thanks to few judges from SC. Why he did not take action against, Raja, Kalmadi, Thomas, Hasan, Balwa. There are still more… if you dig ito ut,
I do not think “foot-in-the-mouth” should be confused with “courage to speak the truth”, particularly since each of the PM’s statements has ruffled / is going to ruffle the feathers of the neighbouring countries, against whom he has “shown the courage and spoken the truth”. If he has so much courage, it would be better that he first removes the rot that is prevalent in his own backyard, and thereafter, considering diplomacy and tact, decide whether he should start spurting truths anywhere, where he is required / invited to speak.
The PM has spoken only the truth and nothing but the truth. In Kannada, there is a saying that means a person who speaks straightforward is not liked by the world.
Anyway, as mentioned, he could have been diplomatic by saying, “I am happy that more than 75% of the people of Bangla do NOT support Jamaat-i-Islami rather than saying, “25% support it”!