Time to rethink Jaishankar factor
A prized quality in a top politically savvy diplomat is the ability to nuance the most binary postures. And diplomacy is the art of using nuances to make powerful points. One of the most nuanced of India’s prime ministers, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had quipped: “Quiet diplomacy is far more effective than public posturing”. Two decades later, the foreign office team chosen by his saffron successor Narendra Modi practices the Diplomacy of Confrontation where national interests are concerned. But of late, they don’t seem to be the ones who set the tone. Ex-envoy turned freelance politician, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar believes that aggression is the best posture to demolish contrarians. A trained diplomat with experience and linkage, he has faithfully and blindly adopted BJP’s aggressive domestic copybook, which he seems to be blotting alarmingly. India’s relations with the superpowers and some neighbouring nations are worse than before. Forget about strategic setbacks on a geopolitical scale, even a mundane matter like visas for Indians is a torment for Indian embassy staff. For the first time since Independence, Indians must reportedly have to wait more than two years to get a US visa, even to meet their families or attend marriages. Students were put in even greater difficulty. Canada refused a visa to internationally acclaimed sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik in time to speak and travel to receive an award. Most European countries, too, aren’t accepting Visa applications from Indians — the Chinese get preference. When Modi handpicked Jaishankar as his Foreign Minister, a change for the better was expected. JS is a unique diplomat who has been the Indian ambassador to both China and America. He is also the only ex-babu to be catapulted from a post retirement corporate job into the foreign minister’s chair with Cabinet rank. He has visited 75 countries, some more than once, spending almost every fifth day abroad. He is the only minister to spend two continuous weeks in the US to meet his counterpart, address the UNGA, and meet Think Tanks, corporate leaders and other VIPs on his bucket list. However, India doesn’t have Most Favoured Nation status in any important country. Jaishankar said in New York last week: “On mobility, specifically visas, this is particularly crucial given its centrality to education, business, technology, and family reunions.” His US counterpart Antony Blinken’s response on visas and America’s $450 million service package for F16s to Pakistan was vague. The State Department claimed it was helping Islamabad “fight terror”, a ridiculous claim considering Pakistan’s odious bedfellows are Tehrik-i-Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Jaishankar’s lame response was, “I flagged it to Secretary Blinken and … For someone to say I am doing this because it is all counter-terrorism content and so when you are talking of an aircraft like a capability of an F-16 where everybody knows, you know where they are deployed and their use. You are not fooling anybody by saying these things,” The time has come for Modi to ponder if allowing a babu lacking political legitimacy and statecraft to defend our global stakes is enhancing Modi’s Vishwaguru status.
It’s all in the stars in service matters
Act first and think later appears to be the mantra of the top Central bureaucracy which second guesses the political leadership by first identifying a candidate and then framing the rules. After delaying the appointment of the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) after General Bipin Rawat died, the Defence Ministry’s decision to appoint Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) has led the defence establishment down the protocol rabbit hole. General Rawat, also from Uttarakhand, was Army chief who was made CDS just a day after he was to retire. But Chauhan had retired almost a year ago and was part of the National Security Council led by NSA Ajit Doval, another famous son of Uttarakhand. The selection of the new CDS was made without properly considering the implications of appointing a superannuated three star general over four star chiefs of all the forces. As Military Secretary, Chauhan reports to the Defence Secretary. As CDS, he is Military Advisor to the Nuclear Command Authority chaired by the Prime Minister. The CDS is the permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee comprising all three service chiefs. South Block mandarins and Defence experts were baffled how an officer, junior in rank to the Army, Air Force and Navy chiefs, could preside over a meeting. To solve the unprecedented dilemma, Chauhan was simply given an extra star before taking over; it’s the first time a retired army officer had been promoted to a higher rank. Yet it would resolve the sensitivity of connected with seniority. All the existing Chiefs acquired four stars much before him and are technically senior to him even after Chauhan’s inexplicable elevation. Internal dissent and General Rawat’s excessive interference in politically sensitive issues had forced the government to downgrade the post. Since Chouhan was military advisor to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCN) headed by the omnipotent Doval, walking their tightrope won’t be a problem.
PM cleansing Indian Legal Heritage of colonial baggage
All important public appointments have unmistakable Modi hues. When Senior Advocate R Venkataramani was announced as the 16th Attorney General of India to replace 91-year-old K K Venugopal, even the most informed and well-connected legal eagles and political pundits were taken aback. Cerebral counsel and former AGI Mukul Rohatgi had declined the job for personal reasons. The low profile, well spoken Venkataramani isn’t a habitué of corridors of powers. His mentor is the revered ex-AGI K Parasaran, who was perhaps consulted by the Prime Minister. Venkataramani had argued in favour of the Hijab ban in the Supreme Court, and Modi was looking for an ideologically compatible law officer with many crucial judgments coming up. Venkataramani, representing a teacher who supported the ban, had argued, “The absence of assertion of the identities is a conducive environment to inculcate values about the diversity…” and rooted for “a free and unhindered atmosphere where teachers can communicate with the students without a wall of separation”. It was music to Modi’s ears. Moreover, many important cases, like Abrogation of Article 370, etc., are going to come up for a final hearing, and the government needs a law officer for whom conviction isn’t a matter of convenience. Moreover, PM has been championing the values of the ancient Indian legal system without colonial baggage. Also, Venkataramani’s choice as AGI and Kiren Rijiju’s selection as Law Minister are seen as part of Modi’s campaign to purge the Lutyen’s mafia from all centres of power.
POWER&POLITICS
PRABHU CHAWLA
prabhuchawla@newindianexpress.com
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