Yes Minister – I gave you three copies
AN Indian Minister was invited to address a science conference for 15 minutes. The Minister asked his Secretary to prepare a 15 minute speech, which he did and gave to the minister. At the conference the minister spoke for 45 minutes much to the discomfort of the scientists. After the speech was over the President of the conference expressed his protest and told the minister that he had exceeded his time very badly and this has irked the scientists. The minister was clearly embarrassed and shouted at the Secretary when they reached the office.
The good babu had a ready excuse. He said, “Sir as usual, I gave you the speech in triplicate and you read all the three copies”
SM Krishna's Best Speech
SM Krishna, our beloved External Affairs Minister recently delivered the best speech in his life in the UN Security Council – but there was a minor hitch – the speech was written by/for the Portuguese Foreign Minister, who had already delivered that speech.
Why didn't the scientists realize that the minister was reading his speech all over again? The simple fact is that when a minister speaks, nobody really listens – the scientists must have been playing Sudoku. The situation in the UN Security Council is the same – rather worse. Most of the members don't understand the language of the other members – so they just sit there and listen politely!
Our own VK Krishna Menon holds the record for the longest speech in the United Nations – he spoke for nearly eight hours! And in those days there was no translation facility. Atal Behari Vajpayee once spoke in the UN in Hindi. Hindi or Hebrew – the fact is nobody listens.
SM Krishna could have continued reading out the Portuguese Minister's speech without any one realizing it – but our bureaucrat spoiled the show by pointing out the mishap. Now if any body is going to be punished for this lapse – it will be a babu for not putting up the right speech for the Hon'ble Minister.