Meanwhile, let me straightaway confess that I don’t relish challenging Atal Behari Vajpayee. My few encounters with him have always been exceedingly cordial and despite the barbs I throw at him in my columns, he exudes a genuine warmth. Unlike, say, L.K. Advani he is not paranoid about criticism. Friends warn me I am deluded, but both my heart and head tell me he is a fundamentally decent man fallen among men and women who are not so fundamentally decent. However, I don’t think I will be booked under the Official Secrets Act if I reveal that Atalji is not a nuts-and-bolts PM. He prefers to paint the big picture, leaving it to his aides to fill in the blanks.
This style of prime ministership is not necessarily flawed or dangerous. It served Ronald Reagan (and now George W. Bush) admirably—making him, arguably, one of the most popular and effective presidents in US history. But Mr Reagan had the rare gift of picking aides and advisors who combined in equal measure dedication, efficiency and integrity. I wish I could say the same is true of 7, Race Course Road.
