What's missing in PM Modi's diplomatic arsenal? A first lady of course!

During the recent Saarc summit, the Nepal Prime Minister’s niece hosted the South Asian first ladies. A few days before that, Maggie Abbot, the Australia PM’s wife took the wives of G20 leaders to see a wildlife sanctuary in Australia. And as a result, Indian babus in foreign relations are now missing the feminine touch to India’s diplomatic endeavours and are hoping he will have someone fill in the post of First Lady for the country. In fact, a report states that the absence of a woman to participate in activities on behalf of India might also jeopardise India’s ambitious foreign policies. The Telegraph in a report states: “The discussions among senior officials, shared with The Telegraph by multiple diplomats, eflect the recognition globally of the subtle but increasing foreign policy role First Ladies are playing in a world of cut-throat diplomatic competition. First Gentlemen — husbands of women heads of state or government — have rarely assumed any significant public role in the world of diplomacy, where gender stereotypes continue to dominate.” [caption id=“attachment_1830729” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  PM Narendra Modi. AFP.[/caption] The article recollects how Gursharan Kaur was a constant companion to Manmohan Singh in all foreign visits and matched his mellow persona perfectly. And it also points out that though Nepal PM Sushil Koirala is single he made it a point to appoint his niece Sujata to host the first ladies at the Saarc summit in Nepal. In an article published in The Independent, shortly after Nicholas Sarkozy’s US visit with his new wife Carla Bruni, the writer said Laura Bush defined the role of the First Lady saying: “The role of First Lady is whatever the First Lady wants it to be.” The article also traces what roles the First Lady has traditionally played in the US. “Over the years, First Ladies have been White House managers, renovators and hostesses. More recently they have been campaigners, social activists and policy advocates.” The Atlantic notes that though the idea of a First Lady was initially to be high voltage hostesses, the notion has changed over the years. “But today, it’s not just the way they look. Since the role has morphed into something more than mere hostessing but less than an elected official, there’s a wide range in which to castigate them for not doing enough,” it said. It has been abundantly noted in political commentaries in the recent times that the First Lady has played an important role in cementing ties between nations and it’s not just about photo ops. However, in the context of Narendra Modi, Indian diplomacy is least likely to acquire that dimension any time soon. He would create a huge uproar if he were to depute any woman, like the Nepal PM, as the ‘first lady’ during diplomatic trips because of the existence of Jashodaben, his estranged wife. Perhaps, the babus’ concerns are justified.