The Hindu : National : At home in Home too

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 01, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

At home in Home too

Special Correspondent

P. Chidambaram

NEW DELHI: Handpicked by the Congress party and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to revamp the country’s internal security machinery after the audacious November 26 Mumbai terror attacks, Home Minister P. Chidambaram looked confident and conversant with the nitty-gritty of handling the complexities of his new responsibility.

If he grappled with the financial intricacies in the midst of a global meltdown in his previous job as Finance Minister, the lawyer-turned-politician came up with competent and at times witty answers at his first formal press conference here on Wednesday. In sharp contrast to his predecessor Shivraj Patil, Mr. Chidambaram appeared to have amassed better scores both sartorially and substantially.

If Mr. Patil faced criticism in a section of the electronic and print media for his “inept handling” of the Home Ministry, Mr. Chidambaram looked well set in his new job which he took over barely a month ago. During the recent Parliament session too, Mr. Chidambaram handled with ease and flair both flanks — Finance and Home. If recession, inflation, global meltdown, revenue, and GDP growth found easy expression in his statements and speeches, security lingo like the Central forces, extremism, CPMFs, MAC and IB were handled well by him with the flair of a reputed lawyer.

Asked which was the more challenging job — being a Finance Minister or Home Minister — he quipped, “This question is more challenging.” To a question on author Khushwant Singh’s decision to do away with personal security as expenses mounted on providing “tea-coffee-biscuit” to police personnel, Mr. Chidambaram said it was “a very wise decision.” On concerns about his own security and why he did not increase it, he said, “Don’t worry. I am very secure.”

On cricket captain M.S. Dhoni and threats reportedly received by his family, Mr. Chidambaram said, “No threat will come near Dhoni. I am sure he will swipe it over the boundary.”

Summing up the requirements of his new job, he said that he had to raise the level of intelligence preparedness and make the security apparatus act to neutralise any possible terror attack.

To left wing extremists and naxal cadres his message was: “We do not accept violence by any group whatever may be their goal or objective and however laudable it may be. If they [naxal cadres] want to talk about legitimate grievances relating to the welfare of the people and participate in the political process, I can always talk to them.”

At ease in answering queries ranging from VIP security to the Mumbai terror attacks, Mr. Chidambaram threw the gauntlet at the media: “I win the first round. Next press conference will be on January 31, you can assess the month of January also.”

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News Update

Stories in this Section