People speak when their silence should talk for them. In the last few weeks we have heard remarks that ought never have been aired - at least, not on air. People ought to avoid the mike unless they are in command of their thoughts, control of their tongue - and mind their language. Otherwise, it can lead to considerable trouble and not a little unkind mirth.

First, President George Bush was heard telling Tony Blair at the G-8 summit lunch, that Syria must get Hezbollah “to stop this shit”. Must have displeased the very propah First Lady, Laura, the Syrians and Hezbollah. Mr Jaswant Singh released his memoirs and with it the word ‘mole’ into the public discourse on India’s nuclear policy. The media has been chasing this elusive creature ever since; each time Mr Singh was asked by the media about the identity of this secret operator, he said he didn’t know, he wasn’t sure, he never said such a species existed in Narasimha Rao’s government or inner circle. The mole, meanwhile, wormed its way into the nuclear deal with USA and caused the Manmohan Singh government acute heartburn in Parliament.

Next on was Natwar Singh. News channels, helpfully, restored our memory and perhaps jogged his with footage of his denials when he was the external affairs minister of any inappropriate behaviour in the oil-for-food scam as reported in the Volcker Report. And, certainly he never wrote any letters. Now, he says, all ministers write letters of recommendation (what’s there?), the signature and letterhead on the letters are his but the contents (and particularly the language) are not and that the letters don’t ask the Iraqi government to give Andaleeb Sehgal anything more than a hearing.

... contd.