Defensive cover

Defence Minister A K Antony’s failure to show up for the international conference on defence, finance and economics last week caused comment. Actually, Antony had specifically asked former minister Pranab Mukherjee to officiate at the inaugural ceremony, saying he would deliver his address on the last day. Ever since he has taken up his new job, Antony has been keeping a low profile and spends most of his time interacting only with senior defence officials.

He wants to spend the next two months picking up the basics of his job and reading files. Antony has yet to give a formal interview to the media. And even his exchanges with the Malayalam press have been restricted mainly to local issues in Kerala.

The defence minister is more of a listener than a talker and shies away from the limelight, but such is the nature of his new post that he cannot stay in the background forever.