Remember what British Ambassador said

Mani Shankar Aiyar

There are two stories doing the rounds in New Delhi. One is that Modi suggested that Trump meditate in Kashmir. And Trump thought Modi had said, “mediate”! The other is that Imran Khan so incessantly brought up US mediation in J&K that Trump just got confused and could not remember whether it was Modi or Imran (some brown man) who had begged him to intervene!

Both are of a piece with what we know of Trump. But, on a more serious note, if Modi keeps seeking US intervention to pull India’s irons out of the Pakistan fire, as he has been incessantly doing on declaring Pakistan a terrorist state under FATF, restraining the Pak reaction to “surgical strikes” and Balakot, securing the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan, getting Masood Azhar listed and Hafiz Saeed hanged, then, of course, an egotist like Trump will think India is thanking him personally, leading Trump to then help his Indian friends further by moving in to “mediate or arbitrate” on J&K at what he believes to be Modi’s behest.

What, in these circumstances, should a professional Indian diplomat do? Obviously, he must first objectively assess the character of the administration to which he is accredited. Moreover, since the US President is given a free hand in foreign policy to an extent inconceivable in a parliamentary democracy, the diplomat must take care to convey to his masters at headquarters a carefully considered and objective assessment of the President and his foibles. This, of course, is what the British Ambassador to Washington, DC, Sir Kim Darroch, did in the confidence that his highly-restricted cables to London would never be seen by any but those who “Need to Know” – a sacred principle of all diplomacy. Whether by accident or deliberate intent, these highly confidential and, therefore utterly frank, assessments were leaked to The Sunday Mail and the journal had a ball publishing these damning assessments of Donald Trump in several successive instalments. Sir Kim resigned – not because his reports were off the mark but because someone in the London FO betrayed his plighted troth.

Is there any danger of this happening to any Ambassador to Washington nominated by the Modi government? None whatsoever, I would venture to hazard the guess, because Modi is thrilled with his assiduous cultivation of US Presidents (remember the bandgala with his name stitched all over as he personally poured tea for Barack Obama, or his repeatedly calling the man Barack so that the TV channels would convey to his avid millions the intimate relationship on first name terms between him and POTUS, or his clumsy attempt to hug Trump in the Rose Garden for the benefit of his adoring admirers?)

I would be astonished if any Indian Ambassador to Washington would dare describe Trump’s Administration as frankly as Sir Kim did: “We don’t really believe this Administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction-riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept.” And this as the representative of the United Kingdom, a country that treasures its “special relationship” with the US as the cornerstone of its foreign policy.

What was even more commendable was his Prime Minister’s defence of him in Parliament where she revealed that “the whole cabinet rightly gave its full support to Sir Kim” and added that she regarded it “a matter of great regret” that the Ambassador should have felt it necessary to resign.

An Indian Ambassador who thus gave his honest assessment of POTUS to our MEA, copy to PMO, would be sacked forthwith and thrown to the dogs by the Prime Minister himself. Which perhaps explains why Trump triumphantly announced in the presence of Imran Khan that he would “love to be a mediator” in J&K, especially as Modi had “actually said would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator?” The MEA spokesman, the External Affairs Minister, backed by the Raksha Mantra, have all denied this is true, effectively calling Trump a liar, thereby giving Modi’s relationship with Trump its biggest setback ever.

None of this need have happened if only our Ambassador in Washington had given Modi the tip that Sir Kim was careful to give to his Foreign Office, that in dealing with the US President, “you need to make your points simple, even blunt”. Modi brought this diplomatic disaster on his head because he had not been so advised by a self-confident Foreign Service to keep his points simple, even blunt – and never to try out his uncertain English on Heads of State with blonde hair – a useful tip for his forthcoming dealings with the new British PM.