Ambassador's Fiat?

Ambassador Sen is believed to have a certain ‘vision’ of Indo-US relations, one that involves dramatically expanding horizons. He wants certain people in certain slots to form a cohesive team. If the last government thought the ‘Next Steps in Strategic Partnership’, or the NSSP, was the cornerstone of bilateral ties, Sen wants to ‘widen, deepen and strengthen’ the relationship—to quote Foreign Minister Natwar Singh—by expanding trade and economic ties. "Any relationship, whether it is between countries or people, has to be mutually beneficial," he told Outlook. He called the NSSP "an aspect, not the cornerstone of bilateral relations".

The rumour is that he wants Raminder Jassal, who was India’s ambassador to Israel, as his deputy. The logic presumably is that an officer who understands Israel and the US—Jassal did a stint here in the late 1980s—will be an asset.

Sen comes to Washington as an fog or Friend of Gandhi. As Rajiv Gandhi’s right hand man, he travelled to 74 countries and is believed to have made the first real opening to Israel. He’s credited with containing the outsourcing row in the UK. A man who knows what he wants and how to get it, he has set the wheels of change in motion before coming to Washington. Reports say the external affairs ministry is trying to find a good position for Sood who’ll stay on till the September visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to New York for the UN General Assembly.

Sood, who has apparently discussed ‘the situation’ with the new ambassador, shut all questions with a firm "no comment". But sources say although he is "highly disappointed", he doesn’t want a bureaucratic showdown. "He has told me not to raise it with anyone," said a former senior official in New Delhi.

Sood is widely acknowledged to be the ministry’s premier expert on nuclear issues and was crucial to formulating India’s position during the Strobe Talbott-Jaswant Singh dialogue. When he arrived in Washington in March, he quickly resurrected senior contacts in the Pentagon and the arms control circuit and was seen as ‘key’ to the success of the NSSP. Ken Juster, undersecretary of commerce and a key player in moving the NSSP forward, is said to ‘swear by’ Sood. Juster believes Sood is a comrade in arms and a valuable voice for the slowly inching process.

But Sood is not known for schmoozing—a necessity in Washington. He can sometimes come across as ‘arrogant’. Even his friends say he should learn to "relax" a bit. Apparently Sen thought this aspect of Sood’s personality could be a handicap. At a recent university event for South Asian ambassadors, Sood, who was then the charge d’affaires, came across as stiff. When there are ambassadors from India’s neighbourhood, an Indian diplomat has to be doubly diplomatic to prevent the usual accusations of arrogance and hegemony. But in terms of substance, he is the undisputed master of his subject.

Even Sen praised Sood as the "best" expert India had on nuclear issues while refusing to discuss ‘the situation’. From various accounts, Sen has not asked Sood to accompany him for important meetings. In this turmoil, there is a bigger problem of ‘The Message’. American friends of India often lament the absence of a loud, effective message for the billion-strong country.At a recent meeting, they told Sen it was India’s day in America and the world, it must grab it or loose it. In Washington, only the loudest get heard.