•The touching thing is that you believe it can be done. We Indians are too cynical to believe anything can be done between Delhi and Patna. For you, it’s an act of faith and courage. How has it been?

Maybe. When you don’t know too much, you’re more prepared to try. We’ve made good progress. Amartya Sen chairs a committee of mentors, of which I am a member. I am involved as an individual, not as a foreign minister. We’ve met twice, in Singapore and Tokyo. Next month we meet in New York.

•Another creditable thing about the Indian system is that even if there is a change in government and there is a great deal of bitterness between the two parties, the project is unaffected.

I think it has captured the imagination of both sides. We’ve had discussions with Shri L.K. Advani, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, (Ambika) Soni and Rahul Gandhi, Arun Shourie.

•So this cuts across party lines.

Yes, there’s genuine enthusiasm for it.

•Is it tough for a Singapore minister to handle, the kind of division in our politics, having to balance all sides?

Because I’ve spoken to ministers and individuals from all over East Asia — China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia — there’s a common enthusiasm for it.

•One thing Singapore politics doesn’t prepare you for is the contentiousness of Indian politics, because we’re the opposite for Singaporean discipline and focus.

... contd.