[Paul Lismore] Nandini Singla : Indian High Commissioner or an Honorary member of la Cuisine ?

Before some wretched individual comes here to "defend" Bharat Mata, let me reassure you that what follows is not an attack on India. It is certainly not yet another toxic elucubration of the many idiots who spend their hours obsessing about India and who feel terribly limited that the worst they can do about Prime Minister Modi's name is to call him "maudit", and then expect the world to marvel at their literary ingeniousness.

No, I wish to express my alarm that the High Commissioner of a foreign country now seems part of the furniture and seems to have adopted a role that no other High Commissioner from any country has ever played in our country.

Let me give you a little quiz: Can you name or form an image in your mind of any other High Commissioner to Mauritius? I bet you that you can't, even when it comes to Charlotte Pierre, the High Commissioner of the UK to Mauritius, who happens to have a  Mauritian father and a Mauritian mother...But I bet you that most of you would immediately recognise Nandini Singla, not just for her ethereal beauty and gorgeous hair, the way a saree drapes so elegantly around her, her mastery of English, French, and other languages, her radiant smile, etc. But the main reason why you could not fail to recognise her is because, unlike ALL the other High Commissioners, she is always in the news (which is perhaps a sad reflection on the quality of our zourlanus...) at some function where inevitably a minister, or Lady Macbeth, or someone from la cuisine would be present. 

Now, she is perfectly entitled to attend any function that grabs her attention or go anywhere that she wants to. That is her right as a High Commissioner. But what sticks in the craw is not only her presence at so many government functions (oddly enough, not attended by any of the other High Commissioners to Mauritius...), but her apparent compulsion to make speeches these days which inevitably contain some words of praise for the government, and especially for the King that we never knew we had but who apparently exists in the wet dreams of some socio cultural dwarf. I am afraid that is not the language of diplomacy, when your words give the impression that you support this government despite the clear level of discontent within the population. No other High Commissioner has ever shown this level of partisanship and bias towards the government in my experience.

It is really such a pity. Nandini Singla started so well as High Commissioner, with visits and smiles to everyone that matters: the President, ministers, SAJ and his family, Navin Ramgoolam, Paul Berenger, etc, even the GoNad and his motley crew at L'Express. No other High Commissioner had ever been that visible, and she was a welcome breath of fresh air from the stale world of diplomacy where often things have necessarily got to be done behind closed doors.

Unfortunately, she now gives the impression that she supports, tacitly or not, everything that this government does. And that is wrong! She is an Indian diplomat and her role primarily is to promote the interests of her country, and not to be the cheerleader of the country where she is a visitor. I know the dilo dire oui of la cuisine is extremely potent, but come on, Your Excellency! Stop degrading yourself by behaving like the bosom pal of Lady Macbeth and acting as if you are the emotional/political crutch of His Majesty, Jugnauth the Second...

I hope you are aware that there are now 2 kings in la cuisine, and King Sherry is known to be good at swimming in choppy waters. Supporting the latest king might make the other one very jealous and he might disconnect your phone....

Finally, having read the above, can you remind me of any High Commissioner who behaves like Nandini Singla and gives the impression of being an active supporter of this government? No? This means therefore that all the other High Commissioners are fulfilling their diplomatic roles and functions as they should be: non interference in the affairs of the country where they happen to be a guest.

Happy Divali to everyone, especially to all those who do not attend the festival of hypocrisy and arse licking of the socio kultchurels. Have a wonderful festival. I will be looking fondly at some jalebis and lick and suck the syrup out of it....That is not a sex joke, you perverts!