Secrets to Sushma Swaraj’s success

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is one of the more admired ministers in the NDA government of Narendra Modi. Her admirers in the media and among informed observers of foreign affairs are legion. The discreet charm of Sushma Swaraj is recognised even by critics of Prime Minister Modi, his government and its foreign policy.

That is not surprising, given the way she has conducted herself at the head of a ministry that is watched worldwide for what it says and does. If Swaraj continues in office for another year, she would become India’s longest serving foreign minister after Jawaharlal Nehru (17 years). As of now, PV Narasimha Rao, who was Foreign Minister from January 14, 1980, to July 19, 1984, and Swaran Singh (from June 27, 1970 to October 10, 1974) were longer in office than Swaraj, who have completed four years.

The occasion aroused more than usual interest in her annual press conference. At the event, the greater interest is not so much in what the minister says but how she does it; the charm she turns on to deflect difficult questions; and, her grace in fielding googlies. And, on those counts, Swaraj disappointed her admirers. Those who recall the flair with which she carried off her first press conference could not help but notice that her fourth one was not in that class.

Modi is his own foreign minister and his flamboyant personality and performance on the foreign front leaves Swaraj far behind in the shade. That has been so from the beginning. In her first year as EAM, Swaraj was little seen and even less heard. Gone was the high profile of the active and articulate politician that she had enjoyed in the limelight for 15 years, first as a minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet and, later, as Leader of the Opposition.

That gave rise to the question of whether there was a gag order on her. Swaraj said that the Prime Minister has not imposed any restrictions on her. “This is what goes with my profile. I decided that (given) the profile I have got, I should not speak. I follow that”. As this writer had observed then, there were no sniggers, no knowing exchange of smiles. That showed the respect and sympathy she commanded in the ministry and the media, which suspected her of being stifled by Modi. She was not perceived as Modi’s favourite minister. It was no secret that she would keep her job as long as she did not presume the MEA was hers to run as she thought best.

Yet she kept her cool, especially under stress, in the ministry and in public. At her first press conference, after the initial tension dissolved, she replied to a few questions in a bantering tone. This, along with her posture, language and choice of words, left no one in doubt that the focus would be on the MEA’s achievements; and, questions relating to her equation with Modi and her profile in government would not be encouraged. It was a measure of the media’s respect — perhaps, admiration — that none chose to cause her any discomfiture.

Then came the demand for her resignation amidst the controversy over her association with Lalit Modi. The Prime Minister rejected her resignation and, soon enough, she evolved into a role with which she, the Prime Minister, the National Security Advisor and the Foreign Secretary were all comfortable. Although the FS, Dr S Jaishankar emerged as the most powerful one in recent decades, dealing directly with the Prime Minister, he was duly deferential to the EAM. Swaraj became the face of foreign policy, despite being perceived as having little say in the making of policy and strategy.

This did not diminish her in any way as, by then, she had evolved into a role “requiring the three R’s of Rescue, Relief and Rehabilitation”, as one MEA official put it. Swaraj excelled at it and, as stated in her four-year report card, some 90,000 Indians have been rescued from various distress situations, including jails, across the world. She gained a big following on Twitter, and tweets addressed to her gave hope to thousands in dire need of a lifeline when in trouble.

In the circumstances, with the three R’s, Swaraj may be said to have accomplished her potential. Besides, she was useful in clearing the decks for moving forward in sticky situations. She went to Pakistan in December 2017 — for the Heart of Asia conference on Afghanistan when she met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz. However, with incidents of terror continuing, the prospect of talks kept receding.

She broke the chill between PM Modi and Nepalese Prime Minister KP Oli in February, when she travelled to Kathmandu after the latter’s sweeping victory in the parliamentary, provincial and local elections. It was a probing mission as New Delhi had not responded promptly and positively to the electoral success of Oli, who had withstood Indian pressure and the economic blockade in 2015-16. Similarly, at the meeting of SCO Foreign Ministers in China in April, she prepared the ground for Modi’s successful meeting with President Xi Jinping in Wuhan last month.

With a record like this, her angry accusation and emotional outburst against journalists who posed ‘difficult’ questions came as a surprise. She accused one newsman of behaving like a “spokesperson of the Congress party”, which was gratuitous and unfair. Also, her retort, “How is it that I’m able to answer all your queries if I know nothing about foreign policy” betrayed a loss of composure. She also used the occasion to attack the Congress party, which was least expected of her.

With the election year upon us, the pressure seems to be affecting her. Recognition of that, perhaps, explains why the media remains generous and indulgent to Swaraj and did not point out that making policy is different from knowing about policy. She should not lower her score when she can bow out gracefully with three cheers and a perfect 10.

The author is an independent political and foreign affairs commentator based in New Delhi. Views are personal.