In High Places – low talk

By Vijay Kumar

"We really slobbered over the old witch,"

"While she was a bitch, we got what we wanted too; she will not be able to go home and say that the United States didn't give her a warm reception and therefore in despair she's got to go to war."

This conversation took place in Oval Office of the White House on the morning of Nov. 5, 1971. The first sentence was by President Nixon and the second by his Secretary of State. The topic of their conversation – Indian Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi. These are from the transcripts of the oval office tapes declassified this month. Only goes on to prove that people in very high places badmouth about others just like the rest of us.

Remember the embarrassment of President Carter during his visit to New Delhi in 1978. In his meeting with Morarji Desai, Carter was not able to convince Desai about the NPT. He turned to his aide, sitting next to him and whispered, that on return home, he would send a ‘cold and blunt' communication to Mr. Desai. The `whisper', however, was carried by the sound magnifying system, installed for their speeches and heard clearly by the shocked audience. The stoic Desai did not allow this freak incident to spoil the cordial hospitality.