Manmohan Singh with Turban, Nicolas Sarkozy with Nuke technology

Hello readers, 

As October 3, 2008 tiptoes in, I am breaking my blog silence to start blogging in the true sense of regular daily real life experiences.

The reason is the treatment meted out to the Sikh cause in France by respected Professor turned Politician Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India while he was visiting that country.

Standing right next to President Nicolas Sarkozy, Indian PM Singh was face to face with me when I asked the French President the question about the "ban on Sikhs wearing turbans."

Sardar Singh did not blink even an eye-lid, leave alone asking the French President in front of world cameras to support my question as the French leader was lambasting Indians about Christian killings in India.

One thing that Sarkozy did not know then is that I am a Christian (although my surname comes from my Sikh paternal lineage) and I, like other secular citizens of the world, understand the meaning of secular.

And then I see Indian newspapers, especially one in Punjab, The Tribune running the report (appended below as it appeared on the newspaper's website) and it made me wonder "was it the same face that showed no emotion," in Marseille and the question, "How did the respected journalist see 'Pain was writ large on the face of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as he explained...' as the journalist was not present at the episode where the PM was talking to the President?"

One explanation that comes to mind is related to the Professor becoming a seasoned Politician as I have always believed Politics is made of two words: (made indoors) Policy and (then applied in public with) Tricks.

I will leave it to you readers to comment on what happened in Marseille, France where the question was asked in front of world cameras and what transpired in Paris. France where no journalist was present behind the closed doors.

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APPENDED REPORT FROM THE TRIBUNE: 

When PM expressed anguish on turban ban
Ashok Tuteja
On board PM's special aircraft

Pain was writ large on the face of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as he explained to French President Nicolas Sarkozy the anguish of the Sikh community over the ban on wearing turban in schools in France.

''I said to him (Sarkozy) that the turban is an essential part of the Sikh way of life because the Sikhs are not allowed to cut their hair. And this is one way to keep their hair tidy,” he disclosed to reporters who accompanied him on his 10-day trip to the US and France.

Singh met Sarkozy in Paris yesterday. He told the French leader that Sikhs were facing problems in France. ''When Sikh children go to school, they are discouraged from wearing turbans. And when seeking identity cards, they are asked to remove their turbans.”

The Prime Minister recalled that he had raised the turban issue with Sarkozy during the latter's visit to New Delhi in January also. (http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20081002/main2.htm)

Brussels journalists unhappy with French organisational setup

The French presidency of the European Union last week informed the API/IPA (The International Press Association represents foreign journalists accredited in Brussels to the European Union, NATO and Belgium) of its willingness to reimburse costs incurred by journalists following a change to the Paris of the EU-Ukraine summit in Evian scheduled on, September 9. 

Paris informed via telephone API/IPA President Lorenzo Consoli that the Quai d’ Orsay will reimburse the costs sustained by all journalists who went to Evian for the summit, which was moved at the last minute to Paris. The API/IPA on its website (http://www.api-ipa.eu) requested the affected journalists, “to keep your bills and expense notes,” adding, “Many thanks to all those who have submitted their complaints to us.”

There were quite a few episodes of journalists suffering in more than one case in the hands of organisational skills of Paris. In the words of Dominic Hughes, a BBC journalist at Evian, “The BBC sent Steve Sidebottom (producer) and myself (reporter) to cover the Evian EU/Ukraine summit. We flew to Geneva, hired a car and drove for an hour to the hotel, arriving at around 1900.

As I walked into reception and announced myself the poor manager said, “But Mr Hughes, have you not heard? The summit is cancelled!” I asked when, and he said five minutes ago - so clearly the hotel had only found out right at the last minute as well. The poor man looked really crestfallen as the hotel itself was losing thousands he said.

I phoned London who said the Paris bureau could cover. So I filed a radio and TV piece as a preview and then was left with little option but to have dinner and head back to Brussels the next day - all at a cost of at least 350 Euro, plus hire car, plus return flights for two people to Evian. Not to mention the time wasted getting there and back!” The conditions were worst in Lille where the GMES (Kopernikus) conference was held and to which 30 journalists from all over Europe were present.

According to attending journalists, there was chaos as many journalists were given the wrong badge in spite of a very lengthy registration procedure (over one hour in spite of having already registered by mail several times) and therefore were barred from all press conferences with Gunter Verheugen, European Commissioner for Industry and Enterprise and experts since they had the wrong badge.

The attending journalists alleged that the whole conference was managed from Paris and the organisers in Paris had no idea of what the press room was like! Three tables, no computers, no wi-fi and no room for a quiet interview with the many experts present. According to journalists, there was also alleged intimidation because when the journalists complained, Paris reacted demanding names and phone numbers of the people who had complained. “I have never seen anything so badly organised!,” one journalist quipped.

According to Brussels-based journalists the list of problems is long and repetitive at major events with API/IPA listing some of them as: repeated failures to the system connection to the Internet, lack of space, lack of lines and telephones and ISDN, schedules inadequate facilities Press, logistical problems, interventions of security and local technical staff.” “These are serious obstacles to practicing the profession of journalism,” API/IPA said in a letter to French Presidency.

In a letter sent on September 22 to the French Presidency, the API/IPA regretted that despite promises of improvement made following our various complaints, these problems without precedent have not been solved so far. “From an organisational point of view, the informal ministerial meetings of the French presidency have been substandard until now,”said API/IPA President Consoli.

In addition, the API/IPA decided to request of the Secretariat General Council of the EU to establish, by common agreement, a list of standards as a minimum for all rotating presidencies guaranteeing in future the necessary infrastructure for working journalists at meetings outside Brussels.