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Finally, a Foreign Minister

Whether due to the oil-for-food scandal, inner-party politics, or paucity of talent in the upper echelons of the Manmohan Singh Government, the absence of a ranking, full-time External Affairs Minister for almost a year has cost the country dear. There is a lot more to foreign policy than carefully choreographed summits or prime ministerial visits to multilateral fora like `G8-plus' or the Non-Aligned Movement. While the Ministry of External Affairs is staffed by professionals who are second to none, the policies they execute are only as good as the political and strategic vision they receive from the top. Broadly speaking, the MEA has kept the ship of Indian diplomacy on an even keel but there has been little or no innovation, certainly none of the bold variety India needs progressively to influence the course of political events in Asia and round the world. The failure of this Prime Minister to visit any of India's neighbours other than Afghanistan in more than two years into his term is disappointing. India's foreign policy seems to have been reduced to the management of relations with the big powers, but even here it is the United States that commands the greatest diplomatic mindspace with Russia a distant second and China barely appearing on the political radar. The entire continents of Africa and Latin America tend to be given a wide berth, despite the enormous economic and strategic opportunities they afford a rising India.

Will all of this change now that a seasoned hand like Pranab Mukherjee has been given charge of South Block? Certainly the presence of the second-ranking member of the Cabinet will help in protocol terms as Foreign Ministers who have been avoiding New Delhi all these months will start flying in once again. However, it is the temptation of routine that External Affairs Minister Mukherjee must resist. Indian foreign policy needs fresh vectors of activity as the country grapples with problems in its extended region. Rather than being in awe of, if not complicit in, confrontationist and ham-handed U.S. approaches to regional issues, notably Iran, India must take the lead in the search for alternatives based on dialogue, diplomacy, and respect for international law. When he was Raksha Mantri, Mr. Mukherjee concluded a controversial defence framework agreement with Washington that flirted with dangerous ideas; his Ministry also took an unhelpful stand on the democracy movement in Nepal. As External Affairs Minister, he must look anew at these and other issues. As for the Defence Ministry, the Prime Minister has entrusted it to safe hands. A.K. Antony is a politician known for his personal probity and sobriety. The professionals take care of defence. For the job of policy and political oversight, the key requirements are clean hands, respect for professionalism, and the ability and modesty to learn on the job.

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