I am tired of this government…… (Part 2)

Here we go again....This particular aspect of the government has been particularly bothersome for quite some time. I have rarely seen a government anywhere in the world that sucks so badly at securing ideal foreign relations as the current UPA government. Time and again statements have been made that highly undermine India's global position.

The nuclear deal was an amazing giveaway. If it weren't for the change in the US administration to a much more sensible Obama, we would probably have been left with no leverage with the US. But hey, aren't we still? Cause US authorities have chosen to come clean while making Indian students from Tri-Valley look like criminals. And why wouldn't they? the Indian government is more than happy to oblige. Instead of asking why visas were issued for studying in such a university in the first place; instead of proactively seeking support for the trapped students and speaking out against their humiliation; the government chooses to sit back and relax. Just as it did for the Australian students. I mean who would bother with a bunch of kids when they have issues like black money haunting them, right?

Well that's fine....but at least don't make statements that would make a mockery out of the country on the global roundtable. I am forced to make a comparison with the NDA government, which clearly established India as one of the strong leaders of the emerging economies, by tking a fierce stand during the Doha rounds (I think) of the WTO. And here we have a gem of a government, whose foreign minister merrily reads out the Potuguese minister's speech for as long as three minutes at a platform as important as the UN Security Council. Needless to say, he lacked any political with whatsoever to make a comeback or save India from bad press across the world, particularly Pakistan (take a look at Pakistan's defence ministry's take on it here: http://www.defence.pk/forums/world-affairs/93023-indian-foreign-minister-s-m-krishnas-faux-pas-reads-out-portugal-fms-speech.html).

The same minister of course has gone and done it once again. Yesterday was the second deadline given by Somalian pirates (who by the way, refused to realease only Indian and Pakistani sailors; read http://www.raxanreeb.com/?p=85557) for their money. When Ms. Sushma Swaraj very vehemently criticised the government for making the affected families run from pillar to post, all Mr Krishna could do was read an unemotional reply out of a paper, "We are doing all that we can. We are in touch with the ship owners. We are depending upon ship owners, as is done in most cases, to negotiate with the pirates". This isn't as tough a negotiation as a plane hijack demanding the release of terrorists. More importantly, this is the time to display strength and resolve, making it clear to piartes world over that India does not stand for such nonsense. When IC-814 was hijacked, the government took a stand. I am not saying it was right or wrong, but a strong and difficult decision was taken, and for the 222 on-board the flight, it was an important one. 79 sailors is not a joke; it definitely merits a stronger response from the minister concerned, and probably even from the Prime Minister.

But alas! How could I forget. This government doesn't know how to take a stand. It doesn't even possess basic dipomacy to deal with embarassing situations within the country (CVC Thomas' expulsion for instance). It's a government of ministers who know only one diplomatic skill; reading speeched out of bureaucratic papers, and that too without applying any mind.

It isn't enough that they're ruining the country with inflation, money laundering, religious divides, casteism, corruption, and crime. They have to go ahead and ruin any political stand we might have earned in the past on the global front. Bravo!