A Question of Answers: Rao: I am influenced by the situation

It had been a tough year for Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Nirupama Rao. A few weeks after she took over came the historic Vajpayee-Musharraf summit at Agra last July.

When it ended on a negative note, Rao bore the brunt of the anger of the frustrated media. Members of Pakistan's media were furious at her laconic one-line statement announcing the end of the summit with some even pushing her around physically!

Six months later, at the 11th South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit at Kathmandu in January, 2002, she had become much more deft at parrying the difficult questions from the world's media.

Rao, 51, has been also in the line of fire over the Gujarat riots, and the tough position that the Indian government had taken with the European Union (EU) about it.

It is a poised, and even a relaxed Rao, who now faces the barrage of sharp and the not-so-sharp questions every day at the press briefings.

In an interview with Gulf News, Rao looks back on the hectic year, and how she has learnt and grown in the sensitive job.

Excerpts from the interview:

Parsa: After a year, how do you look at the job of the spokesperson?

Nirupama Rao: It's a job that requires quick reflexes, a sound knowledge of theory and practice of foreign policy, a ready willingness to communicate, and the utmost concentration and alertness. The job teaches you to hone your faculties in this direction.

Is it also necessary to have a flair for the language?

It is not enough to have the flair. It requires a love of language. The choice of the right word is the force multiplier.

Looking back, was the Agra summit last July baptism by fire into the job?

It was actually a rite of initiation. I was fresh into the job, just a few weeks old (in the job). It introduced me to the requirements and realities of media handling management, to the complexities and the multifarious challenges that confront a spokesperson.

Did you expect that the one-liner you delivered at the end of the summit would cause such a storm?

It was a highly charged phase of intense interaction in the midst of media speculation. It was a summit which was very much in the public eye. There was a great deal of expectation generated by the media themselves.

Despite accusations that we were taciturn during the summit, the intention was never to withhold information from the media. The day after the conclusion of the summit, the External Affairs Minister held an extremely detailed press conference, in which we made every attempt to answer every question in an open and transparent manner.

One could see that your handling of the media - especially from Pakistan - at the SAARC summit in Kathmandu in January this year was quite impressive. Was it part of growing in the job?

Experience naturally brings more confidence which helps you to handle the situation. By the time of SAARC I had learnt a lot. I found that I had grown to enjoy the interaction with the media. With the right combination of transparency and being able to assert principles and positions in a non-dogmatic manner, you could win a lot of trust.

What do you see as the toughest moment of the assignment so far?

I never take for granted any situation. I believe that you must approach the job with energy and enthusiasm. The challenges have been many and frequent.

How do you look at the media after months of interaction - a demon, a necessary evil, or a tough friend?

I look at it as a professional encounter. It is a vital point of reference for me in the performance of my duties. I definitely don't see them (media persons) as a demon or as a necessary evil. They are tough and demanding. We have developed a degree of mutual respect between the office of the spokesperson and the media., which is invaluable to me. It helps me in my work, helps me immensely.

There is no doubt that this is a stressful job. What do you to de-stress?

I never let stress under my skin because I am a highly concentrated individual. When I do a job I am focused on it. Once it is over, I do not think of it.

We learn that you play the guitar, speak in Spanish on the BCC Spanish service and read the poems of Russian author Anna Akhmatova. What other hidden talents do you have?

These are diversions. And I am committed to my profession and, of course, to my family.

What else interests you?

I listen to Western classical music, and opera. I love reading about foreign policy and current affairs and literature.

How did you get interested in opera?

I served in Moscow and Vienna, where there is lot of music.

Any favourites?

Puccini, Verdi and Mozart.

What about films?

I like the old classics, especially the silent era films. I like the old Russian directors like Eisenstein, especially his Alexander Nevski.

You are described by some as a shy and serious person. True or false?

I am a very private person. I tend to be reserved.

How do you manage with a job like this?

I am very much influenced by the situation.

What is your personal definition of diplomacy?

I believe that the best diplomats are those who are intellectually alert, whose decisions are hallmarked by clarity, precision, respect for facts, a clear recognition of fundamental national interests, and who is able to defend those interests with honesty and conviction.