The handshake

Managing the aftermath of a shoe-throwing incident is now part of the skill-set of most public figures. Ever since George W. Bush had a shoe whizzing past him at a press conference,it’s caught on. But in every me-too repeat,the attention-seeking ploy has progressively lost its sting. When one came Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s way on August 15,the follow-up was mostly about security detail,not the politics of the incident. And Abdullah has rightly taken the initiative to underscore the point that this is not something he,as the target of the shoe-throwing,should take personally.

Abdul Ahad Jan,the policeman who was already under

suspension,has had something of a meltdown after the incident. He was borne away from that Independence Day by security personnel,charged with sedition and remanded to police custody. However,on Tuesday,Abdullah pardoned him and asked the police to withdraw the case “on compassionate grounds”,and later invited the policeman over to his residence. There was even an offer of a helicopter to take Jan back home.

In the past few months,Abdullah has not exactly acquired a reputation for the spontaneous gesture. In fact,it would be facile to extract any implications from this episode for his handling of the continuing “stone-pelting” protests in the Valley. But if there is something he can take away from his interaction with Jan,it is that the option of retreat — of even being seen to be withdrawing into a shell — is neither available nor advisable for somebody in his post.