More than mere mangoes!

DARSHAK MEHTA ON High Commissioner Sujatha Singh

The Indian High Commissioner Smt Sujatha Singh is about to pull up stumps in Australia and head to the land of Franz Beckenbauer ( Germany ). I don’t think her knowledge of soccer rivals her understanding of cricket, but if I were a betting man, I would not put it past her to have frank and informed discussions (babu-speak for arguments) with “Der Kaiser” himself, by the end of her term there.

When Ms. Singh came to Australia in August 2007, her knowledge of cricket was superficial. It was confined to tolerating and amusing her cricket-mad spouse Sanjay, who is currently her boss. Yes, they are one of India ’s power couples in the diplomatic service – both from the Indian Foreign Service. Now, at the end of her term (which is imminent), she is confident enough to discuss the nuances of cricket with the likes of the legendary Greg Chappell and Steve Waugh.

This embodies her superbly. A shy, calm and smart woman who applies herself, and by sheer dint of application, is always on top of her brief.

Ms. Singh has understood Australia better than a lot of her predecessors. She has travelled far and wide, met people in lofty places and many others at ground level. She has a common touch. She can be a tough cookie and she can be a softie.

But, she has been a wonderful ambassador of Mother India. I reckon (and Steve Waugh agrees!) that she probably has been paid a royalty by Aamir Khan – so many copies of his Lagaan has she distributed to the high and mighty in this land.

Ad nauseam, Ms. Singh has spoken about the three “C”s that once linked India and Australia : Cricket, Curry and the Commonwealth, but she has extolled the need to go beyond these and engage across the board in all areas.

Ms. Singh has also been a good firefighter when the reprehensible student attacks were raging. She met everyone concerned, invested a lot of time in understanding and analysing the issue, listened to students and visited those who had been attacked. She urged the Governments concerned to concentrate on ensuring they did not continue, and to apprehend and prosecute the culprits. Her point to the Premiers and the Prime Minister seemed simple: how does it matter to the student who was targetted, whether he was injured as a victim of crime or a victim of racism? Please make it stop and make it go away – full stop! Their safety was paramount.

The message got through, eventually.

Ms. Singh has had success with the intractable uranium supply issue – after four years of dogged, daunting behind-the-scenes work. In the end, it may well have been the Yanks who influenced the Australian Government more than she did, but, by Jove, she did her damnedest in the face of heavy odds.

The bilateral relationship between Australia and India has really taken off. If the numerous ministerial visits on both sides are a yardstick, we are on the cusp of deepening and meaningful engagement for which Ms. Singh deserves credit.

One of her failures has been also due to the same virtue which has resulted in her success in other issues – her sense of inclusion. Ms. Singh has tolerated the myriad of Indian associations and listened to them. As most readers would know, a lot of these associations have more “leaders” than followers, and almost none of them are capable of conducting a fair-dinkum election under the supervision of the Australian Electoral Commission.

Why she continued to give them credibility, attend their functions or take any notice of them, beats me?

On a personal note, I confess that as far as Ms. Singh is concerned, I am not the most objective person going around. My wife and I count her as a friend and therefore the adage, “There are none so blind as those that will not see” applies richly to us.

She has been absolutely rock-like in support of the educational charity, The LBW Trust, which this writer chairs.

Of course, there are a couple of things that jar, but are you perfect? For one, it can be her ability to resort to “babu” lingo or bureaucratese. I try and take the Mickey, when she is doing so – without realising that she is!

Another is her sheer faith in one of the world’s more erratic and indifferent performers – the Indian cricket team.

But, to me, Ms. Singh’s greatest and most galling failure is that despite her assurances (at the start of her term), we are no closer to eating the delectable Alphonso mangoes of India , here in Australia . Of course, she deflects the blame on others, but I think it is simply unpardonable!

Jahanpana, we will miss you!

(Warning: The author considers himself a fawning friend of the High Commissioner and therefore exceedingly ill-suited to being objective!)