Wakaw in South Block

India’s new minister for External Affairs, Mr Natwar Singh, is a seasoned diplomat. He’s so seasoned that he recently reasoned how things have changed since he was on the right side of diplomacy 15 years ago.

Lots of people including yours truly were happy to see him in the chair that gave him an opportunity to show off the skills he's known for. Lots of people including yours truly are not sure about the cause of our initial happiness.

As it turns out, Mr Natwar Singh's initial days this time around have been so embarrassing one may feel that after retirement, diplomats retire from diplomacy too.

He's talking about NAM when many of us have forgotten its naam and what it stands for. The non-aligned movement died its natural death when there were no two blocs to align to.

He's also talking about reviewing relations with Israel, and China and Pakistan and Saarc and Cayman Islands...

He's right in saying all that but the tone and tenor of Mr Natwar Singh makes one doubt his residue diplomatic skills.

Foreign policy is not agriculture policy that one coming Sharad disposes what the going Sharad proposed. Foreign Policy is a process. It doesn't change with ministers. It evolves and changes with the world outside, not with the governments inside.

The shrewd general from across the border offered a special invitation to Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the Congress President. And Mr Natwar Singh accepted the invitation and announced to TV mikes that Mrs Gandhi would go to Pakistan. Without the Prime Minister ever coming into the picture.

Accepted, he owes his ministership to Mrs Gandhi but was it necessary to undermine the Prime Minister in public and international view? At a time when the world, especially Pakistan, has realised that our crucial foreign policy decision emanate from the highest office, the PMO.

India's Foreign Policy has a solid foundation laid by Pandit Nehru and his colleagues. Then Natwar Singh was a young diplomat. He's a seasoned politician now, but looks like he's a bit stuck in time, Wakaw in popular parlance.


P.S.
Kareena Kapoor's hair is all bottle blonde now. We always thought she was from one of those blonde jokes, now she looks like too.