NEW DELHI: The idea of posting public figure to Washington as the Indian Ambassador has found no takers, and has thus been shelved. The Prime Minister is now considering former diplomats and even serving officers for the plum post.
The glamor of a high-profile diplomatic assignment, being addressed as “Your Excellency,” lavish entertainment at Government expense and an interesting job apparently does not appeal to Indian politicians and public figures.
Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao has so far failed to locate a suitable candidate to send as Ambassador to the USA number of politicians was sounded out, but all showed a reluctance to take up the offer, Hence, the idea has been dropped.
This is the second time that Rao has been unable to have his way on sending politicians, corporate heads or other public figures on diplomatic assignments to important countries,
For a political figure, the high visibility diplomatic assignments are, in real terms, a political hibernation, Even those who lost in the last Lok Sabha elections and who no longer hope for a Rajya Sabha nomination, do not wish to undertake a prolonged stay outside the country. Absence from the centers of power could loosen their hold in State, district or even constituency equations they seem to feel. Earlier this year, Ministers Office chief Ambassadorship to Germany The Prime Minister had ma clear that he wanted a person who could forcefully articulate Indias new economic policy in Germany. But there were few takers.
Modi was one of those who turned down the Bonn offer, though he is believed to have changed his mind after losing out in the corporate battle at TISCO. He was interested in the Washington assignment, but to no avail, and a lengthy interlude resulted after A-Madhavan returned from Bonn and K.S. Rana, a senior Foreign Service officer, took uptime posting.
Among those in the running for the top diplomatic post in Washington are a couple of former foreign secretes who have not turned to politics after their retirement,
Interestingly, though US Ambassadors to India are often political appointees the new envoy, Thomas Picking, is a career diplomat.
New Delhi has, more often than not, chosen to post a political appointee at the three important capitals Washington, London and Moscow.
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