S.M.Krishna's gaffe's

Gaffes go hand in hand with external affairs minister S.M.Krishna .Answering Brinnda Karat's question in Rajya Sabha, about Pakistani virologist Dr.Mohammad Khalil Chishty who is in Ajmer jail,Krishna said "the government of Pakistan must consider his (Chishty’s) release on humanitarian grounds." Obviously Krishna was confused  with  Indian spy Sarabjit Singh, who is in a Pakistan jail on death row.Prime Minister noticed the faux paus  by SMK,quickly intervened and clarified.Is age catching up with SMK or is it negligence?But gaffes are nothing new to SMK.Not long ago at UN he spoke for 3 minutes,the text prepared for the Portuguese delegate.The funniest part was he did not realise when he read about those lines mentioning about the 'the happy coincidence of two portugese speaking countries" .Fortunatley the Indian envoy for UN realised the mistake and interrupted SMK and gave him the correct text and asked him to 'start again'. It was his first speech at UN.It is very clear that he did not even bother to go through the text once, before delivering the speech prepared by his speech writer. This is evident from the fact that he thought his speech writers were mentioning about Brazil .He also said so many papers were spread before him .By mistake he took the wrong paper and there is nothing wrong in it.Before SMK made his speech the portugese delegate had delivered his speech in portugese.The English translation of the speech was with SMK .By mistake he started speaking that text.During his recent joint press conference with Hillary clinton,Krishna was asked by an American journalist ‘Mr. Minister, what assurances did you receive from Secretary Clinton about President Obama’s plan for Afghanistan? Are you persuaded that Washington will not allow a deal that will leave the Taliban in power? And more broadly, do you feel that President Obama’s plan can work? Or do you think that we should also be working on a plan B?’Krishna responded  by saying: ‘India has been closely following the happenings in Afghanistan, though we are not immediate neighbours.’India is surely a neighbour of Afhghanistan.But Krishna's reply stunned the foreign journalist.It was a pathetic sight to see an Indian foreign minister committing such gaffe's in the presence of a visiting foreign diginatory.

Many celebritites also have committed such faux paus earlier.The CWG fame Suresh Kalmadi addressed former President Abdul Kalam as Abdul Kalam Azad, in the recently concluded CWG Games ceremony.Abdul Kalam Azad was a freedom fighter.Later addressing the media in a press conference,Kalmadi said "prince Diana" attended the opening ceremony.What he meant was "PrinceCharles".Princess Diana died in an accident in 1997.I am reminded about a similar incident during my working days .In one of the internal Quality circle presentation meetings,a speaker addressed the person in chair as "Julius Ceaser ",whereas the person's name was Julius Sathyaseelan.President Obama is also known for such glaring gaffe's.President Obama began his speech reading the opening lines of  Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen's speech in 2009.This goof up was due to a mix up of their speeches at the teleprompter.President Obama,once addressing soldiers said "I had the great honour of seeing some of you because a comrade of yours, Jared Monti, was the first person who I was able to award the Medal of Honour".But this person was killed in 2006 and was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.Obama on a state visit to UK signed a guest book with a wrong year,as 2008.The monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh flew into the American capital for a two-day stay .President Bush was about to say the monarch's had toured the states in 1776.President Bush also winked at the queen by mistake.It was reported the queen gave him a regal glare.Realising his blunder Bush immediately said jokingly that she "gave me a look that only a mother could give a child." President Ronald Reagen was once checking his microphone before going on air.“My fellow Americans,I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”Reagen was not aware the video tape was running .Once Vajpayee wanted Railway minister Lalu to resign on Sabarmati Express mishap in parliament.Striking a moral highground posture,vajpayee said  “Maine sansad ki garima aur maryada ka kabhie paalan nahin kiya.”The house broke inlto laughter.ABV realised his faux paus.Vajpayee immediatley said "It was a human error " ,taking a dig at Lalu,for attributing the train accident to "a human error".Praveen Rashtrapal,an AICC member from Gujarat once addressed Sonia Gandhi as Indira Gandhi in a meeting .Buckingham palace once gave a reception to British Indians.The number of invitees were close to 400.Guests lined up to meet the queen and the Duke.Looking at the name badge of businessman Atul Patel,the Duke said 'There is a lot of your family here in tonight'.The Gujarati businessman took it as a joke and said he was not offended.Unlike olden days, with the widespread usage of cell phones,video camera's and internet, the gaffe's by celebrities are flashed instantly around the world,these days.It provides entertainment to us .

The sagacious Indian voter

Elections results of Tamilnadu,West Bengal,Kerala,Assam and Pondichery have manifold and diverse manifestations.Naturally when the mandates are diverse the ramifications of the results are likely to be diverse.The problems and issues were diverse among the states that went to polls.The election results have proved once again, the Indian voters are sagacious and no one should underestimate them.The elction results have thrown many upsets .The ramifications of these election results will have a Pan India cascading effect on national politics.

Except for a couple of forecasts,most of them predicted an hung assembly in Tamilnadu.But contrary to popular perceptions,it was a landslide victory for AIADMK front and an unprecdented rout for the DMK and the Congress.The Tamilnadu voters have given a decisive mandate and were acutley insightful and wise by giving an absolute majority to AIADMK. Despite all its neighbouring southern states have opted for coalition governments on one ocassion or the other,ever since the coalition and quid pro quid politics came to fore three decades ago, TN voters have always voted for a single party rule.The DMK congress combine did not find favour with the electorate on many issues.The freeby announcement by DMK front in its manifesto was neutralised by AIADMK matching them with an equally attractive freeby announcement.The worsening power supply situation in the state,especially during the summer had a telling effect on the voters. The massive 2 G scam had its share on the loss toll of the DMK front, albeit the DMK front tried to underplay its effect on the electorate.By and large the public believed the party top brass was involved in the scam.It was a huge setback to the DMK front.The Sri Lankan crisis and the fishermen issues are not issues of inconsequence as the Congress and DMK believed .There was rising resentment among younger generation about the way the DMK and the Congress handled these two issues. This was very evident in most of the social net working sites.

Now the AIADMK will take over the reigns from the DMK. The AIADMK should be wary of possible pitfalls in governance from the begining itself. One hopes Jayalalitha will ensure a corruption free government and zero interference by party functionaries or extra constitutional powers in administration. Jayalalitha should also control sycophants from repeating the nauseating flattery seen in the previous regime.Most importantly she should check fawners of her own party.The common public expects exemplary and impartial behaviour from the authorities who enforce law and order.Regarding the Sri Lankan crisis,though belated, the new incumbent government can, at least now, use its offices to influence the centre, to amend the wrongs done in the past.Similarly fishermen should not be subjected to continued harassment by our neighbouring country.These are two emotive issues that can not be ignored by any party ruling Tamilnadu.The new government should also work towards for a negotiated settlement of the riaprian rights of the state.Having made the freeby announcements now the Jayalalitha government has to deliver its promises,despite its assurances about a judicious and prudent fiscal management unlike its predecessor.When Lalu Yadav could turn Railways that was in red to a financially viable organisation,one hopes Jayalalitha will also be able to achieve this financial feat .

The left has lost its forts in Kerala and West Bengal. However in Kerala the defeat for the left was not as humiliating as in West Bengal.V.S has won in Kerala where as Budhadeb has lost in Bengal.The left front was ruling Bengal for close to 4 decades. But ever since veteran Jyoti Basu left the scene in Bengal,the slide for the Left front started in Bengal.Besides, when Praksh Karat took over from the veteran Harkishen Singh surjeet,as party chief , he appeared as an hardliner of party philosophies.But after he took charge, the party started loosing in elections and came under attack of his own party colleagues.He even went to the extent of calling Mamta a 'dumb doll'. But Nandigram and Singur provided the much needed spring board platform for the fiery Mamata to push the left front on to the backfoot. From then on she has only gone on strength and never looked back and has finally culminated in ahcieving her goal.The 'dumb doll' finally dumped the Marxists .But it remains to be seen how she fares.There could be trouble for Congress in store,as they have to now keep Mamta in good humour for their own survival at the centre.She is another moody and unpredictable politician, to be carefully handled by the managers of Congress.The downfall of the left front in Kerala could be attributed to themselves.The infight in CPM , the lack of support to its incumbent CM, from party high command and a possible error of judgement in excluding Muslim league from the LDF front have resulted in the defeat of the LDF in Kerala.Despite all this, many believed V.S would be a better CM than Ommen Chandy. The results also reveal the UDF has secured a very slender margin in Kerala.This was made possible simply because Congress forged a winning combine this time .The coalition arithmetics of UDF was right this time in Kerala.

A congres win in Assam was a foregone conclusion. The outgoing Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi performed well to get re elected.Also AGP is on decline for the last few years. There was literally no opposition worth its name to Gogoi.It is a personal victory to Mr.Gogoi ,and Congress can surely gloat over it .

The congress has lost Pondichery to NR congress and its allies. NR congress, is a party floated by former congress Chief minister of Pondichery, N.Rengaswamy.He forged an alliance with ADMK and have won 19 setas in the 30 member assembly. The loss is again congress's own making.NR was the most popular and unassuming Congress chief minister of Pondichery. Under his regime Pondichery was awarded the best state to live in India by the vice presodent of India. But the congress high command felt otherwise.Due to internal bickerings NR was aksed to resign and was replaced by Vaithilingam as CM.NR floated a party just few months before the elections, on popular demand from party cadres, and forged an alliance with AIADMK and their front has won the elections this time.It is high time for Congress to understand they should respect regional pride and sentiments.A party can not be a run successfully by a stooge of the high command. A tall regional leader should head the state unit of the national party and he should have greater voice in party affairs, for a national party to flourish in states.Whenever there were strong local leaders for national parties,the party has fared better in that state.

It has been proved again and again,that the Indian voter is sagacious.When Indira Gandhi said 'India Marches forward' in the post emergency elections,the Indian voter thought otherwise and voted her out. When BJP under Vajpayee said 'India is shining' during the elections,after a five year tenure ,the BJP government was voted out. The Indian voter is not a charlie to be duped by wily politicians.