Little known & well known anecdotes : Which Lok Sabha Speaker was threatened of being arrested by Law Minister? Which US Prez addressed Manmohan as Sir?

During 1990-91 Gulf War, which three airbases in India made news in the context of helping the US forces? 

- Agra, Pune and Mumbai. Between Jan 9, 1991 to February 25 (1991)m everyday one or two American plane would land in Indian airbases - the three as named above.

The real climax or interesting part of the story is the Indian authorities did not bother to check whether those aircraft were carrying armaments, military requirements or something else.

Even after the issue was flagged off in Parliament by Congress - which was supporting Chandrashekhar government, the then Prime Minister has said those were only civilian supplies. Predictably, the Chandrashekhar government was accused of "pandering to American imperialism", reported 'New York Times'.

First American aircraft on way from The Philippines to a military base in Jordan had landed at Sahar airport in Mumbai. It was during the Prime Ministership of Late Chandrashekhar.

"Among his sharpest critics are the leftists and the Congress Party of Rajiv Gandhi, whose support is needed to keep the Shekhar Government in power. Another former Prime Minister, V. P. Singh, has also opposed any policy that appears to favor the United States, saying that violates India's traditional posture of nonalignment," the report said.

But the truth could have been different. It was a clear case of India backing the US in the first Gulf War against Iraq under Saddam Hussein.

"The decision to refuel American planes, which the Indian Government said were carrying no weapons or other war supplies, comes at a time when the domestic airline, Indian Airlines, has had to cut back its servicesby nearly one-third to conserve aviation fuel.

From the start of the gulf crisis in August, India has only half-heartedly backed United Nations condemnations of Iraq. Baghdad and New Delhi had close ties, diplomatically and economically. Indian expertise and labor had been used in Iraqi industrial and strategic development," Barbara Crossette wrote in the report of Jan 30, 1991. 

A popular cartoon by R K Laxman

 Who was the US President who addressed Dr Manmohan Singh as 'Sir' ?

## US President George W Bush. The then US Prez also once displayed a unique gesture by placing his arm around Indian Prime Minister Dr Singh's shoulder.

It was also reported that for his part, Dr Singh, who has worked under Pranab Mukherjee, used to often address him as 'Sir' or 'Pranab Da'.

# In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed US President Barack Obama, by his first name 'Barack'. But did they really become buddies ? Modi's relations vis-a-vis personall rapport was perhaps 'better' with President Donald Trump - for whom he even went on to the extent of making an election campaign pitch 'Trump Sarkar' in context of 2020 elections. 

But Trump had to later bow out of office as he was defeated. 

# Atal Bihari Vajpayee had major knee problem and during his US visit, President Bill Clinton always showed humbleness and good gestures holding the Indian Prime Minister as Vajpayee more often limped. 

-- But Vajpayee had his own sense of humour. Once C D Sahay, former RAW chief, met the Prime Minister giving a briefing on Pakistan. Sahay said, " I had problems with my back and did not want to present myself in front of you (Vajpayee) that way."

The Prime Minister had shot back: " Mein ghutne pakad ke baitha hoon, aap peet pakad ke baith jayiye (I am holding my knees and sitting down, you hold your back and sit down too)".

** Pranab Mukherjee remained one of the most egoistic persons in Indian politics. After returning from an important visit to Washington DC, as External Affairs Minister during UPA-1, Pranab Mukherjee chose not to brief the PM Manmohan Singh at least for three days. 

However, he had met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Pranab Mukherjee often did not brief Manmohan Singh on the UPA-Left Coordination Committee also.

Symbolism: New India

Acronyms have helped Indian politicians and most of it has been exploited by PM Modi and BJP
- According to Late Arun Jaitley, using or throwing up new acronyms make the speaker/politician appear 'smart'. It also in most cases would make 'new ideas' colloquial and saleable. This was around 2016, when PM Modi pushed for phrases like 'Smart India', Skill India' etc.

In the case of PM Modi, it is often said in northeast political circle that as the then Gujarat Chief Minister, Modi was 'impressed' with Governor S C Jamir on use of such acronyms and symbols.

In Nagaland, Jamir had given the slogan of 'New Nagaland' in the 1970s - although later Jamir had to face criticism because of his alleged aggrandizement of the corruption menace. Did Modi pick up 'New India' slogan from this - none can answer that better than Modi himself?

In 1993, Jamir had said Nagaland elections will be based on 3 Rs - one of them being 'Reconciliation' between himself (Congress party) and Naga militants, especially NSCN (IM).

During the peak of 2002 mayhem in Gujarat, Arun Jaitley stood by Modi. He encouraged media to frequently use two terms - Namo (for Modi) and also Moditva.

But opposition politicians in Gujarat, had dismissed 'Namo' acronym as 'Nakam (unsuccessful)' and ‘No Action - Message Only’. This was more for the alleged failure to curb the riots. Namo is incidentally Sanskrit word meaning in reverence!

 

Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, also did not take BJP's acronym game passively. When Modi said that Congress would become a regional party called “PPP Congress—Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar Congress” in a campaign rally in Karnataka; Siddaramaiah countered:

 “Heard you spun a new abbreviation ‘PPP’ today. Sir, we have always championed the 3 Ps of democracy – ‘Of the People, By the People, For the People’. While your party is a ‘Prison’, ‘Price Rise’ & ‘Pakoda’ party. Am I right, Sir?”.

Despite India-Russia bonhomie in the 1970s, there were major differences too. When Indira Gandhi allowed conducting of nuclear test in 1974, the Soviets were not happy. For her part, Indira Gandhi too was irked by USSR 'invasion' and military action in Afghanistan. But China-Pak axis prevented Indian government attack USSR. 

The Soviets also let the life be 'as usual' after 1974 nuke test because it had 'compulsions' of Cold War geo-politics.

US President Richard Nixon was irked when India signed the Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Co-operation with Russia in 1971. 

Of course, earlier Indira had declined to toe the American line. When Indira visited the US on March 28, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson promised three million tons of food and nine million in aid. 

Of course, nothing comes 'free' or plain charity in diplomacy. Indira declined to take the US help because it would have made New Delhi "a tool" in forcing India to adopt policies favored by the US. Indira also resolutely refused to sign the NPT - Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

## There is a story of Manmohan Singh era. NSA Narayanan is said to have told some PMO officials and also PM Manmohan Singh's media advisor Sanjaya Baru that he "kept a tab on the credit-card spending of influential editors". (The anecdote figures in Baru's book 'The Accidental Prime Minister ....'.

#**

It is generally given out M K Narayanan, former IB chief, lost his job as NSA to PM Manmohan Singh because the Prime Minister had 'assured' former Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon that he would be made NSA.

Grapevine is Menon has shown personal loyalty to Dr Singh. In January 2009 Prime Minister Dr Singh during his summit meet with Pakistani counterpart, Yousuf Raza Gilani, in Sharm-el-Sheikh, had agreed for a mention of Indian intelligence involvement for 'internal troubles' in Baluchistan region of Pakistan.

Keen to make progress in talks with Pakistan, Dr Singh had allowed the following line in the Joint Statement.

“Prime Minister Gilani mentioned that Pakistan has some information on threats in Balochistan and other areas.”

There was enough furore in Indian politics and the BJP had termed the episode as 'shameful' for Dr Singh as well as for the country. Menon took the blame on himself and cited "drafting error" to the lapse. 

So, it was to accommodate Menon, Dr Singh made 'space' for Narayanan in Kolkata's Raj Bhawan. Narayanan and his wife Padmini were never pleased with that decision.

Of course, Narayanan had come under attack for 26/11 (2008) Mumbai terror siege. 

Blogger in a Secret Mission: Morning Walk in Winter

## There is also a story from PMO that Dr Manmohan Singh became the first Prime Minister who did not take daily briefing from the IB and RAW chief. That task was left to the NSA - first JN Dixit and later on to Narayanan and Shiv Shankar Menon. 

## Shiv Shankar Menon in recent times has ended up earning flak from another former foreign service official and incumbent External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.

On January 3, 2020 Shivshankar Menon criticised Govt of India’s decision to enact the Citizenship Amendment Act and abrogate Article 370. He claimed that the country was facing trouble on the diplomatic front due to these decisions. 

Meno also said, “What we have achieved in the recent past, is to hyphenate our image with Pakistan in a fundamental way, as religiously driven and intolerant states. We have gifted our adversaries, platforms from which to attack us.” 

Notably, Jaishankar hit back at Menon. 

"Sometimes, when we don't have strategic clarity, and we have had occasions like Sharm-al-Sheikh and Havana, where we have allowed victim and perpetrator (Pakistan) to try and come on the same plane. I think we have done ourselves harm". 

In reference to Pakistan, Jaishankar remarked eloquently: "The perpetrators of terrorism will try to normalise terrorism, will try to pass it as another instrument and as 'one more thing we do'.... They are playing a game, but we should not ever play their game". 

Jaishankar

The only businessman to get Bharat Ratna is JRD Tata. He got the award in 1992 during the tenure of the then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.

During Chandrashekhar's tenure as Prime Minister, Rabi Ray from Odisha (Janata Dal) was the Speaker of Lok Sabha.

Chandrashekhar's Foreign Minister, V C Shukla, was "disqualified" from Lok Sabha with seven others in early January 1991 for having broken the anti-defection law against switching parties without resigning the seat. 

All these 'members' were elected to the House on Janata Dal but to bring down the V P Singh government, Late Chandrashekhar had caused a split in the party by defection of MPs. However, while others including the then Deputy prime minister Devi Lal got 'benefit of doubt', the Speaker had disqualified eight of them.

Interestingly, the then Law and Justice Minister, Dr Subramanian Swamy, was forced to apologize publicly to the Speaker "for having threatened to arrest him" if he did not do the Government's bidding in 'postponing' the disqualification decision.