Jyotindra Nath Dixit, “Mani,” considered to be one of India’s finest foreign secretaries, often narrated a story about an Indian mission where the ambassador and his number two were constantly at loggerheads with each other. When time came for posting, the ambassador, wrote in his deputy’s confidential report, “This boy will go far; the farther the better.”
Subramanyam Jaishankar, India’s current foreign secretary seemed to have followed this dictum in pushing out most of his rivals from South Block through ??the latest round of posting for ambassadors announced on Wednesday. His detractors in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also see in this a “sinister” move that will allow Jaishankar to stay in his post far beyond January 2017, when his two-year term comes to an end.
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His three senior-most colleagues in headquarters— Secretary (East) Anil Wadhwa is being dumped as ambassador in Rome, Secretary (West) Navtej Sarna as high commissioner in London and Secretary (Economic Relations) Sujata Mehta, one of the contenders for the Permanent Mission of India at UN headquarters in New York, has been totally ignored.
Wadhwa was keen to be posted as ambassador to either Beijing or Tokyo and Sarna would have liked to be either ??the P?ermanent ?M?ission of ?I?ndia? in New York or ambassador in Moscow. Instead, Vijay Gokhale is being sent to China from Germany and Sujan R. Chinoy from Mexico to Japan. Indian high commissioner in Bangladesh, Pankaj Saran, will now go to Russia. Sujata Mehta, who remains in headquarters as one of the senior most diplomats, may now be elevated as either secretary East or West. This becomes a strong possibility since her request to be in New York or even as high commissioner to Pakistan, was overlooked. Gautam Bambawale, India’s ambassador in Bhutan will be the high commissioner to Pakistan.
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But Jaishankar’s smartest move involved posting Syed Akbaruddin as PMI in New York. As MEA spokesman, Akbaruddin was the face of the foreign ministry till Jaishankar arrived on the scene. Though brought to the post by the Congress-led UPA government, Akbaruddin continued to do an excellent job even after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister. His ability to not only articulate Indian foreign policy objectives with élan ?and his deft handling of the media had made him a popular figure both among reporters on the MEA beat and also with the new political dispensation, particularly PM Modi.
When Akbaruddin was removed from the spokesman’s post and appointed chief coordinator for the forthcoming India-Africa Summit, South Block officials saw Jaishankar’s signature behind the move as he did not want anyone to share his space with PM Modi.
??By sending Akbaruddin to PMI New York—a post reserved for the senior most Indian diplomats—the foreign secretary not only gives a prized posting to one of PM’s favourites but also manages to keep him far away from headquarters. In the process, he also puts an end to all speculation about his apparent rivalry with Akbaruddin.
Gurjeet Singh, India’s ambassador to Indonesia, who was also a contender for Japan, will now go to Germany and Nengcha Lhouvum, the dean of the Foreign Service Institute and another secretary rank officer in Delhi, will move to Jakarta.
Having packed off most of his rivals from headquarters and after reducing the role of the MEA spokesman, Vikas Swarup, to “JS Tweeter”—since most of the important briefings are now conducted by him—Jaishankar will now find it much easier to run the foreign ministry the way he wants.
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But MEA officials see in the latest round of postings the ground that is being laid by Jaishankar for a stay that is much longer period than his two-year term.
?Anil Wadhwa, a 1979-batch IFS officer is next in line to replace Jaishankar. But all the ambassadorial postings are for a two-year period and most of the new appointees will take charge of their new assignment from December this year. This means that unless Wadhwa is made foreign secretary when Jaishankar’s term ends in early 2017, he may end up being in Rome. ?Ditto for Sarna, a 1980 batch IFS officer, who unless made foreign secretary will see his diplomatic career coming to an end with his London posting. The same is also true for Sujata Mehta and the other officers of both the 1979 and 1980 batches.
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If that happens, it will allow Jaishankar to remain in office far beyond his two-year term. This now seems to be the preoccupying thought for many of the senior Indian diplomats as they head out for their new ambassadorial postings.
