Hectic lobbying as foreign office set for a shuffle

NEW DELHI: Lobbying has intensified for plum diplomatic positions and ambassadorship to important countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and China after Shiv Shankar Menon was last month appointed foreign secretary, superseding 16 senior diplomats. 

Menon's appointment has created much heartburn among senior diplomats overlooked for the top job, with Rajiv Sikri, secretary (East), seeking voluntary retirement in protest against being bypassed.

Menon, currently India's high commissioner to Pakistan, succeeds Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, who has been named prime minister's special envoy on matters relating to the India-US civil nuclear deal. 

Sikri met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh - who is also the external affairs minister - before he left Sunday for Brazil and Cuba and sought voluntary retirement while expressing unhappiness over being overlooked for the post of foreign secretary, a reliable source said. He reportedly gave a letter to Manmohan Singh registering his protest, but the contents of the letter are not known.

Sikri, an IFS officer of the 1970 batch who has been secretary (East) since 2004, was the senior most officer after Saran when the government announced Aug 31 the appointment of Menon, of the 1972 batch, as foreign secretary.

At least half a dozen other senior diplomats are also unhappy with the manner in which their seniority was overlooked while making the appointment of Menon, diplomatic sources said.

The four secretaries in the headquarters - Sikri, Shashi Tripathi, secretary (West), Atish Sinha, secretary and Dean, Foreign Service Institute, and Rinzing Wangdi, secretary, economic relations - are all senior to Menon and will in all probability be shifted out of headquarters in South Block. 

The 16 diplomats whom Menon has superseded have the option to resign, seek voluntary retirement or opt for ambassadorial positions as, according to seniority rules, they needn't serve at headquarters under their junior in service.   

Lobbying has intensified for key ambassadorial positions, including the coveted post of high commissioner to Pakistan that will fall vacant after Menon takes charge as foreign secretary Oct 1.    

Many names are doing the rounds, with Satyabrata Pal, high commissioner to South Africa, topping the list of those likely to succeed Menon as high commissioner to Pakistan. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shankar Mukherjee is also a strong contender for the position of high commissioner to Islamabad, but, sources said, he is likely to stay on in Kathmandu due to the crucial transition stage the country is presently in after democracy was restored a few months ago. 

Speculation is also rife about shifting to Beijing Nirupama Rao, who is currently India's high commissioner to Sri Lanka. Nalin Surie, currently India's ambassador to China, is likely to come to headquarters as secretary (East), the sources said. N. Ravi, who is currently India's ambassador to Vietnam, is likely to come to the headquarters as secretary (West).   

Alok Prasad, currently India's high commissioner to Singapore, is likely to go as the country's envoy to Sri Lanka, the sources said.

This is not the first time that the government has overlooked seniority in deciding the foreign secretary´s appointment. It has been done in the case of J.N. Dixit, Chokila Iyer and Shyam Saran in the last 15 years.

An official in the Prime Minister's Office, who did not want to be identified, told IANS: "The prime minister wanted someone who would have a longer tenure and at the same time have experience of dealing with some of the countries that are important in India's foreign policy perspective - like Islamabad, Beijing and Colombo. And Menon, having served as ambassador at all these places, fitted the bill." --IANS