U.S. Presidents sometimes appointment members of the opposition party to cabinet positions (like Secretary roles). This is often done to bring in expertise. Here are a few examples:
Barrack Obama (Democrat) kept Republican Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense. He also appointed Ray LaHood (Republican) as Secretary of Transportation.
Joe Biden (Democrat) appointed Republican Lloyd Austin as Defense Secretary.
George W. Bush (Republican) appointed Democrat Norman Mineta as Secretary of Transportation.
Donald Trump (Republican) appointed James Mattis (Independent) as Defense Secretary.
Abraham Lincoln appointed several political rivals.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat) appointed Republican Henry L. Stimson as Secretary of War during World War 2.
Since many people in India want to follow many American practices, why don’t they follow the above and appoint Shashi Tharoor as External Affairs Minister or Indian Ambassador to the United Nations or United States.
At State level, appoint K. Annamalai as in-charge of Police in Tamil Nadu.
Appoint Palanivel Thiaga Rajan as Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Will they do? I don’t think so.
Excellent. Such a broad minded politics can never be expected in India. All the three persons you mentioned are liked by our people irrespective of their parties
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Gowri.
DeleteHow about Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi?
ReplyDeleteGood choice. But you left out Stalin and Mamta.
DeleteWhile India adopts many Western administrative styles, we haven't yet embraced the 'Team of Rivals' cabinet model. In the US, Robert Gates or Norman Mineta provided stability across party lines. In India, talent like Shashi Tharoor remains on the benches because our parliamentary structure prioritizes party loyalty over transversal expertise. We treat politics as a war of elimination, whereas the US (at its best) treats it as a talent pool.
ReplyDeleteThere is a quote that a friend settled in the US told me - "Keep your friends close, and enemies closer"
ReplyDelete