Radia: Hi, hi, I am sorry we have not been able to connect. How are you? NKS: Hi. How are you? Radia: I am very well.
NKS: Hehehe. Lot of fun and games no? Radia: Isn't it.. yes yes.. isn't it.. What does it look like? What do you think of the new cabinet?
NKS: Okay, It's a bit of what in Hindi, I can't explain to you there's a particular proverb in Hindi, which says 'Shivji Ki Baraat'.
NKS: Means (sic) the baraat (wedding procession) of Shivji consisted of many varieties and many species from scorpions, serpents to elephants to tame deer.. so this is a bit of a jumbo staff, which would have to be seen..
NKS: ...by and large conventional wisdom has prevailed in giving the key department to the old and trusted. Radia: Yes... NKS: Some surprise elements..
NKS: ...a spectacular jump for Anand Sharma. Radia: Yeah, what do you make of that?
NKS: I am still puzzled. I am still puzzled because I knew he was close to 10, Janpath but in the meantime he had done a lot to cultivate PM, personally.
NKS: PMO, hanging around Nayar's room.. PM.. and in the I&B.. when he was given.. you know he was in touch with the PMO with the projection, which he believes has paid off in terms of a strategy. So this is.. I mean you know I still.. I don't think I have been able to say the last word on this.
NKS: The other thing is, the spectacular decline of Kamal Nath. Radia: Yes NKS: That I explained .. and by the way to make matters worse for him, even shipping has been taken away. Radia: Yeah Vasan's got that, yeah.
NKS: Vasan's got that which means he just literally left - he's on the road. Radia: Yeah he is literally on the road.
NKS: So.. well, you can always hide it by saying that highways are after all one black point of the government and they want to make up with it. But, I think there is much more than meets the eye.
NKS: And I think that you know a lot of the stuff which you and I know was going on, somehow got noticed and reported and some way it is supposed to also give a signal.
NKS: That perhaps it has been overdone.. I mean, whatever. And the fact that also Baalu was kept out of the Roads.
Radia: But that is more of Karunanidhi's decision because of all the pressure from his family.
NKS: Ya, but on the other hand even if he would have come, he would not have gone back to the same charge of Roads. Radia: Of course not..
NKS: So I think in Kamal Nath's case it's clear indication that look, enough is enough. I don't think right now he needs another ATM. He has one going for many years. And there's enough for him. So that's the other thing.
NKS: Jyothir Aditya has made it good, getting MoS. He didn't make it to an independent charge, but he has got pretty important thing in corner for the industry... with a young man, Anand Sharma to work with.
NKS: And so.. good for Jyotir. I think it's an opportunity to do a lot, because it's a big charge. You know I have been in that ministry it's a big charge.
NKS: If WTO gathers momentum.. though not this year because WTO doesn't only depend on us.. it depends on.. (ends abruptly)