P. Chidambaram

In both his attire and mannerisms, it was a rather atypical Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram who met with senior journalists at the customary post-budget dinner at the Taj Mahal Hotel in the capital last week.

Discarding his signature long-sleeved white shirt, veshti and chappals, Chidambaram arrived in a yellow-checked shirt, deep-blue slacks and leather shoes.

But it was his casual demeanour the was immediately noticeable. Each of Chidambaram’s answers was marked by wit, which he used with finesse to ward off what could have otherwise been uncomfortable questions at formal press conferences.

So what did he think of his meeting with a piqued Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav earlier that day on giving little fiscal support to the state in the budget? Did he speak to Yadav in Hindi?

“I do speak Hindi. Didn’t I say ‘Main Hoon Naa’ in my budget speech?” the Harvard-educated lawyer-politician remarked, referring to how he quietened opposition with the title of a recent Hindi film starring Shah Rukh Khan, which translates into ‘I’m There.’

Asked about the transaction tax which has left the broking community crying foul, he told one reporter: “FICCI has supported me. CII has supported me. They have all accepted it as an inevitable measure. Only your paper seems to disagree.”

The free-wheeling discussion was held over Glenlivet Scotch, beer and soft drinks with an array of starters, including chicken malai tikka, paneer shaslik and hara kabab.

(By Indo-Asian News Service)