Time for Trouble

Caught asleep at the wheel or not, the Time article by Alex Perry(now concerned about his safety) has angered not only BJP and the Samata Party, but also displeased Indian journalists.

The article is undoubtedly in bad taste and Mr. Perry has taken advantage of his role as a journalist and the non-censorship of the press in India.

Even though Mr. Vajapyee is aged and has had his knee cap replaced, his health does not come in the way of his decision-making. And if he is influenced by Brajesh Mishra and the 'hawkish' L K Advani (in Mr. Perry's words), I doubt if he is the only leader to be influenced by his advisors. Do you think Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair make important decisions by themselves, or do they take the advice of their Chief of Staff and cabinet memebers? Of course it is natural for any leader of any nation to take consult his right-hand person, and it is also natural that one of his chelas (meaning disciple) will be his favourite.

Why then should anyone make a mockery of the Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy?

As for his eating and health habits, that is best left to him. He is the best judge of his health and himself, isn't he? He has the right to choose what he wishes to eat and what he does not.

Speaking your mind is one thing, and lowering someone's dignity is another thing. What slips Mr. Perry's mind is, that Atal Bihari Vajpayee, for god's sake is the Prime Minister of a nation. No one has the right to disgrace someone, right? (We call this basic manners!).

But this is not the first time that a derogatory article has been written about an Indian leader. When President K R Narayanan visited France in April 2000, he was referred to as 'an untouchable in Elysees' by two leading newspapers of France.