After the embrace
The one-line condemnation for ‘’use of religion to justify, sustain and sponsor terrorism against other countries’’ by ‘’States’’ (to be read as Pakistan) in the joint statement issued by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was no doubt a major breakthrough for New Delhi. But Abu Dhabi refrained from committing itself to any concrete steps against India’s ‘Most Wanted’, Dawood Ibrahim. In fact, Ambassador Ahmed Al Banna went out of his way to deny his government had raided Dawood’s alleged multi-crore assets in the UAE. Nor was there much progress on the National Infrastructure Investment Fund, intended to mobilise an estimated $75 billion for long-term infra-projects. It seems India’s inability to create an adequate legal framework for the special purpose vehicle to the satisfaction of the UAE officials came in the way of a follow-up on the 2016 MoU between the two countries.
Modi’s trusted man
‘Trust factor’ is touted as one of the prime reasons why S Jaishankar was given a one-year extension as Foreign Secretary. Apart from his excellent working relations with the Prime Minister’s core team, inclusive of NSA Ajit Doval, Jaishankar has handled the Trump transition rather well. In short, no replacement to him could be found. However, the FS will have his work cut out — slowly steering India off from SAARC towards BIMSTEC and revisiting the MEA architecture. Already two divisions have been merged, and over two dozen top vacancies — like Secretary (West), Secretary (Economic Relations), ICCR chief (to retire in May) — have to be filled. Also, envoy appointments to Nepal, Indonesia, Geneva and Italy are pending. On SAARC too, the PM wants India to move towards a wholesale suspension of the framework in its present shape to avoid further embarrassment from Pakistan.
The Priyanka puzzle
Despite the SP-Congress alliance and the Akhilesh Yadav-Rahul Gandhi press meet and roadshow in Lucknow, the wrangle over assembly seats in the Amethi-Rae Bareli belt continues. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the newly nominated ‘star campaigner’, has been flooded by phone calls from Congress candidates who are refusing to budge. The SP is yet to withdraw a single candidate from the Gandhi family bastion. So the moot point now is, who will Priyanka campaign for? She’s still reluctant to step out of the family borough, but cannot be campaigning for Akhilesh’s candidates!
Last-minute panic
Kerala Governor P Sathasivam nearly derailed the jallikattu ordinance by pointing out a few lacunae in it to his Tamil Nadu counterpart, C Vidyasagar Rao, sending the CMO, the PMO and the President’s Office into a last-minute tizzy. The former CJI, it seems, conveyed to Rao that legal hurdles may arise if the wording of the ordinance was not changed. Such was the apprehension given Sathasivam’s legal/judicial background that AIADMK office-bearers deleted their victory tweets within minutes of posting. However, all was sorted out in due course.
Hindi-Russi bhai bhai
Not many know or remember that the longest-serving Russian diplomat in New Delhi, Alexander Kadakin, an Indophile, had first come here as a correspondent of the Soviet mouthpiece, Pravda. An association that at one point raised suspicion of his links with KGB. However, thanks to his Hindi skills, Kadakin picked up a wide circle of friends here. Prime Minister Modi in his condolences message to Kadakin’s family mentioned his language skills and love for India.
The author is Political Editor of TNIE. Email: santwana@newindianexpress.com