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 reindeer.. 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 INB.. 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 lives 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 Balu 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)