Trade diplomats from some 40 countries were all praise for the manner in which Commerce Minister Anand Sharma chaired the two-day ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the capital last week.
Yet, one question still lingered in their minds: Why was his predecessor at Udyog Bhavan and present Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath removed from the job?
Indian journalists sought to tell them the portfolio Kamal Nath currently holds is an important one in India and that is the reason why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh named him the minister in-charge. But few were convinced.
Kamal Nath had literally walked out of some previous WTO meetings, including the last one at the WTO headquarters in Geneva in July last year. The diplomats said it was the perception among world leaders that India was becoming a “deal breaker” that led to his replacement.
