The Left's right : it just left

Too much drama on the news night today- the Kabul Mission bomb blast, selection of the national cricket team for the forthcoming test tour of Sri Lanka and of course, the biggest of them all - finallement, the Left has left the UPA Government.

Watched a fiery session of Barkha Dutt interviewing Ms. Brinda Karat and Mr. Kapil Sibal couple of hours back and the acidic crossfire between the two, of course with Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad from the BJP chipping in about his great party here and there (reminding me of mustard seeds tempered in a hot dish of sambhar)!

I found the exchanges between Ms.Karat and Mr.Sibal riveting – clearly that’s the effect the news channels aim for with TV audiences, a good match - in terms of English communication skills, media savviness, boldness (even temerity), adroitness at twisting around words and coming up with derisive statements made with the sole intention of making the other person in the studio seem like a first rate idiot, solely responsible for the failed relationship. It was raining aces and overhead smashes. [Perhaps the effect of watching a 4 + hours epic Wimbledon final on Sunday night.]

Mr. Sibal asserts ‘bad timing’ and Ms. Karat retorts ‘PM issued a statement on foreign soil’. ‘Hey, hold on, Brindaaa!’ shoots off Mr. Sibal, ‘PM made the announcement aboard Air India – which is considered Indian territory.’ [Whoa, Mr. Sibal, you sure do the lawyer community proud!]

Being no sore loser, Ms. Karat ups the ante bringing in ‘uranium for buses and cars’! [Oops! Which world did I suddenly find myself in ?] And, yeah, there’s more coming, baby...‘why so much push only for the Nuke deal, what happened to the Iran-Pakistan pipeline if energy security is a national concern’, belligerently demands Ms. Karat.

Mr. Sibal’s unfazed response : ‘We are acting in the national interest to end 60 years of our isolation, beyond retaining power!’ What a noble gesture to our countrymen from the country’s grand old party. And then, oozing charm, Mr. Sibal croons, as regards the Iran-Pakistan pipeline, you know the problem, Brindaaa. You know where it’s stuck and how our Petroleum minister is negotiating. Come on [hon].

So on and on it went – Each one justifying one’s position and defending the act of the political party one belongs to.

It just showed how low the relationship has sunk. As Barkha Dutt concluded, there was just so much acrimony and bitterness between the two at the moment that there hardly appears to be space for any reconciliation in the near future.

Well, who knows! Like is often said, in politics and diplomacy (and some other arenas also), there are no permanent friends or enemies - only permanent interests. Maybe the Congress and the BJP should get together. Oh, of course, lest we remember to forget, it will always be in the national interest!