The new US ambassador to India Sergio Gor is not in the mould of some of his scholarly predecessors such as John Kenneth Galbraith and Daniel Moynihan. Breaking with diplomatic convention, Gor breezily took charge of the US embassy in Chanakyapuri and met PM Narendra Modi even before he formally presented his credentials to President Draupadi Murmu. Gor, 38, a naturalised American born in Tashkent to Russian parents, has risen rapidly through the Republican MAGA ranks, beginning as a student activist.
He struck a chord with President Donald Trump through his skills at fundraising, organising events and as the informal disc jockey at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Not surprisingly, Gor choreographed every detail of his arrival at the US embassy. He came in a shiny black BMW with flashing red and blue lights. As he walked up the steps to the stage, Hold On, I’m Comin’ played on loudspeakers. The music selection for the ceremony included MAGA favourites such as Ring of Fire and YMCA Gor’s second in command in New Delhi urged staffers to convey the vibe that ‘Elvis has entered the building’.
One suspects that our stuffed-shirt diplomats may have problems adjusting to the new dispensation, while Pakistan, in contrast, has mastered the art of ego massaging. Our foreign office is still pondering just how to get around our earlier faux pas of not furthering Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize ambitions. A suggestion for awarding the US President with a Republic Day honour was dismissed by the powers-that-be as a disparate gesture. On his recent visit to Mumbai, Gor met CM Devendra Fadnavis, Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra and Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani. Perhaps an introduction to Bollywood, the music industry and Mumbai’s glitzy elite would have served as an ice-breaker.
Dogged arguments
Supreme Court Justice Sandeep Mehta had reason to speak sharply in the context of the staggering list of senior counsel who insisted on arguing on the contentious issue of the removal of stray dogs from institutional areas. Legal luminaries and other not-so-notables who were listed included: Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Pinky Anand, Krishnan Venugopal, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Anand Grover, Percy Billimoria, Menaka Guruswamy, Siddharth Luthra, Mahalaxmi Pavani, Karuna Nundy, Vikas Singh, Shadan Farasat, Colin Gonsalves, Shyam Divan, Zal Andhyarujina, Vikas Singh, Vaibhav Gaggar, Madhavi Divan, Dhruv Mehta and Nakul Diwan.
In addition, a dozen other lawyers appeared for sundry dog feeders and NGOs. Mehta commented that since 2011, when he was elevated as a judge, these were the longest continuing arguments he had ever heard; no one had so much time for human beings! When a senior counsel suggested incentivising adoption of dogs, the judge wondered why similar compassion was not shown towards orphaned and lost children on the street .
One-horse race
Dr K Laxman, the national returning office for the BJP, left no stone unturned in ensuring that all technical formalities were complied with in electing Nitin Nabin as the BJP president. Thirtyseven sets of nomination papers were filed in his favour. The BJP may boast that there is no dynastic concept in its organisational elections, but the absence of an alternative candidate was noticeable. In the Congress presidential election, Shashi Tharoor at least had the gumption to throw his hat into the ring. Former party president Nitin Gadkari echoed the feelings of many senior party leaders when he remarked that the older generation should be made to retire and responsibility given to the new generation.
Singing in tune
When an officer finds favour with the powers-that-be for services rendered, he is retained long after his tenure is complete and he is well past retirement age. The Cabinet Committee on Appointments has approved several such exceptions. Sanjay Kumar Mishra, enforcement director, who struck fear in Modi’s opponents, is the best-known example — he continued for five years with four extensions. The issue was even referred to the SC which ruled that Mishra’s continuance “was in public and national interest”.
Others who were accorded special treatment in disregard of service rules include: Director, IB, Tapan Deka, a favourite of Union Home Minister Amit Shah who is in his fourth year as head of the intelligence agency; R&AW Secretary Samant Goyal who served four years in his post; and Chairman Central Board for Direct Taxes, Ravi Aggarwal, who was given a year’s extension in 2025 and is expected to get another. Others on the special extension list include Dr M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences; and M Mohapatra,
DG, India Meteorological Department, who has completed six years in his post with two extensions. Understandably, their juniors who missed their chance for the top job are getting increasingly frustrated.