Eeny meeny miny mo…
WITH Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao due to retire in July 2011, there is considerable speculation about who will be her successor in South Block. Insiders say two names are currently floating around the corridors: Ranjan Mathai, currently Ambassador to France, and Hardeep Puri, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN. Mathai is believed to have an edge if seniority is the criterion to be applied. But that criterion was thrown out to favour Shivshankar Menon, the present National Security Adviser, who superseded several of his colleagues. Besides, Mathai will have the full support of the “Mallu” lobby in South Block. The disadvantage for Mathai is that he has had a relatively lacklustre innings, compared to Puri. The latter, by all accounts within and outside South Block, has had a very distinguished record in the service. Most people within the service, if there was a poll, would give Puri a clear thumbs-up. His disadvantage is that he has a strong personality and is a very assertive and capable officer – precisely the qualities the PMO would not want in the new Foreign Secretary, given its penchant for being in the driving seat as far as foreign policy is concerned. Besides, Menon also would not prefer to have a dominating Foreign Secretary! There is also a dark horse in the running, the current High Commissioner to Pakistan, Sharat Sabharwal. However, the drawback in his case is that he has not handled any significant territorial desk in the MEA. But, as a wag quipped, this can be overcome by the fact that his mother plays bridge with Gursharan Kaur, wife of the PM!By the way, if the Ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar, gets an extension, the retiring Foreign Secretary’s chances to get that job will be spiked!
WITH Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao due to retire in July 2011, there is considerable speculation about who will be her successor in South Block. Insiders say two names are currently floating around the corridors: Ranjan Mathai, currently Ambassador to France, and Hardeep Puri, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN. Mathai is believed to have an edge if seniority is the criterion to be applied. But that criterion was thrown out to favour Shivshankar Menon, the present National Security Adviser, who superseded several of his colleagues. Besides, Mathai will have the full support of the “Mallu” lobby in South Block. The disadvantage for Mathai is that he has had a relatively lacklustre innings, compared to Puri. The latter, by all accounts within and outside South Block, has had a very distinguished record in the service. Most people within the service, if there was a poll, would give Puri a clear thumbs-up. His disadvantage is that he has a strong personality and is a very assertive and capable officer – precisely the qualities the PMO would not want in the new Foreign Secretary, given its penchant for being in the driving seat as far as foreign policy is concerned. Besides, Menon also would not prefer to have a dominating Foreign Secretary! There is also a dark horse in the running, the current High Commissioner to Pakistan, Sharat Sabharwal. However, the drawback in his case is that he has not handled any significant territorial desk in the MEA. But, as a wag quipped, this can be overcome by the fact that his mother plays bridge with Gursharan Kaur, wife of the PM!By the way, if the Ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar, gets an extension, the retiring Foreign Secretary’s chances to get that job will be spiked!
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