Whatever Nirupama Dijju told Girija, it seems to have done the trick. Suddenly Old Dodder stopped nattering on about First Dotter becoming Deputy PM. Everyone is getting pretty tired of GPK making it a point to ensure that Suzy Q succeeds him, and that includes his own cousins and nephews in the party. Just like king G was the biggest republican in this country four years ago, big G is the one bloke who has done more to undermine the kangresi party than anyone else. Yet why is it that noone in the NC is willing to bell the cat? Why does Ram Chandra have to whisper into Makunay's ear not to take GPK seriously? Why doesn't he go tell the old man himself?
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At the rate the love affair between GPK and PKD is going the two are going to be smooching in public one of these days. Clandestine rendezvous in Loktantra Man Singh's house? Secret t?te-?-t?tes on mobiles? The two are both too smart by half, each thinks he is twirling the other around his finger. Each is trying to be more devious and outfox the other. Lotus Flower has dangled the presidentship in front of Girija, alloting PM for himself and DPM for Suzy. GPK has played along, pretending to be interested knowing fully well Awesome just doesn't have the numbers to
pull it off.
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Contrary to the public perception that Comrade Awe-inspiring went to Hong Kong to see Chinese officials, it seems he actually went there to meet the Injuns! It was supposed to throw everyone off. The elaborate Operation Honkyland was to schedule a Fantastabulastic visit to China (to ensure that noone gets the impression he is kowtowing to Delhi) and then go to India in late November to discuss real substantive issues. Brokering all this is Comrade Krishna 'Money Bags' Mahara, who also had to stash away some of the party's ill-gotten wealth in some choice capital investment ventures. Mahara, to bring some of you up to date, has recently taken over from the India-baiting CP-ji as the head of foreign relations. He has a much more pragmatic approach towards Big Bro, or so they say. Needless to say, Com Gaurav is in a deep sulk, and internal fissures within the Baddies are about to erupt in a major purge. PKD, meanwhile, is already preparing the ground by giving a softie-softie interview to Prerana in which he comes across as Reasonableness Personified.
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By all accounts, Makunay came away with flying colours in his pre-Dasain US/UN visit making up for his lack of stature with concealed heels and a tall Dhaka topi. Nepal's prime minister had taken a khukuri as a present to the President of the United States at a UN reception for peacekeeping countries, but the Secret Service apprehended the weapon saying 'swords' weren't allowed. Makunay pleaded that it was Nepal's national knife and it was a gift to the Chief, but to no avail. When he related this to Obama at the photo op, Sheikh Hasina made a wisecrack comment about how "khukuris were inappropriate for peacekeeping".
Makunay promptly told her off, saying that in Nepal the khukuri represented valour and loyalty, "both values necessary for peacekeeping". Prez was so impressed with the quick repartee he immediately accepted Makunay's invitation to visit Nepal.
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The next day, Makunay smuggled along a piece of limestone from the summit of Everest to give to Obama (the Secret Service had no problems with that item) as a symbol of what climate change is doing to the world's highest mountains. Then Barack introduced Makunay to Michelle saying, "This is Mr Nepal, the prime minister of Nepal who comes from Nepal." Yeah, Nepal rocks, man.
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Looks like Makunay made an even greater impression on Geri Halliwel than we all previously imagined at their touchy-feely function in Kathmandu last month. At a charity event last week in the Big Apple, according to the New Yorker, Ginger Spice told a packed audience about her meeting with Nepal's prime minister: "You know guys - you have to nurture them a bit, the prime minister appreciated my maternal pinch on the cheek and he told me he was scared. He had been prime minister for only three months." She then went on to pull out a shot of herself in a turquoise sari with her arm around the diminutive, smiling head of state, and said, "With collective energy, we can mother men into doing the right thing."
ass(at)nepalitimes.com
