Reaching out, reaching beyond

How much longer will it take for the two main national political parties—the BJP and the Congress—to realise that they are losing out by refusing to maintain high-level political contact with each other? The problem, as it turns out, is the advisors down the ladder. For instance, at some stage during the nuclear deal negotiations with the US, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan, it is believed, sought an appointment with former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. On the designated day, however, it was not Narayanan but a CII delegation led by Sunil Mittal that arrived at Vajpayee’s residence. The delegation sought to convey to the BJP the benefits of the nuclear deal, particularly on energy, as well as its economic spinoffs. But the meeting left Vajpayee piqued. He told his aides he felt demeaned at being meted out such treatment by the Government, which decided industrialists were better emissaries than the NSA. In the process an opportunity to plug one communication gap was clearly lost.