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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 001367 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM IN
SUBJECT: MINISTER KRISHNA'S EXTERNAL AFFAIRS TEAM 
 
REF: NEW DELHI 1225 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Rounding out the new Minister of External 
Affairs team headed by S.M. Krishna (Ref A), Prime Minister 
Manmohan Singh appointed Preneet Kaur and Shashi Tharoor as 
Ministers of State.  Tharoor's extensive foreign policy 
background and savvy media image are expected to lend clout 
to the MEA, while Preneet Kaur's appointment is largely seen 
as a reward to the Congress Party,s Punjab base.  While 
portfolios are still fluid, media reports that Tharoor will 
focus on matters relating to Arabian Gulf countries, Latin 
America and the Caribbean, West Asia, Africa, and consular 
services, while Kaur will be responsible for Eurasia, Western 
and Central Europe, and East Asia. (The United States, 
Russia, Germany, France, China, and Japan will stay in 
Krishna's dossier.)  On June 30, Nirupama Rao was appointed 
Foreign Secretary (SepTel to follow).  END SUMMARY 
 
 
From Veteran Diplomat to Novice Politician 
--- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Tharoor's meteoric rise through the ranks of the 
United Nations, from entry-level officer to the rank of Under 
Secretary General, culminated in his unsuccessful run as 
India's candidate for Secretary General in 2006. (Note: Media 
reports and popular perception in India regard the United 
States as thwarting his bid for Secretary General.  End 
Note.)  The polished and articulate Tharoor dealt extensively 
with the international press and was a regular conduit for 
Secretary General Kofi Annan to the editorial boards of 
worldwide media outlets.  As the Under Secretary General for 
Information, he was often referred to as a "one-man policy 
planning operation" while focusing on strategic goals for the 
U.N. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Although Tharoor describes himself as pro-western 
and sympathetic to the U.S., personal interactions suggest 
some ambivalence. Tharoor claims ties with U.S. figures, 
including the Secretary. (Note:  He has mentioned to PolOffs 
his attendance at the Renaissance Weekends sponsored by 
former President Bill Clinton.  End Note.)  Tharoor 
supposedly maintains close ties to Israel, which electoral 
opponents spun negatively during his Lok Sabha campaign. 
 
¶4. (U) Tharoor's unexpected electoral victory to the 15th Lok 
Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala, marked 
the beginning of his political career.  Viewed as an outsider 
to Indian politics, Tharoor was scrutinized for his Western 
mannerisms and lack of fluency in Malayalam, the native 
language of Kerala. 
 
¶5. (U) Nevertheless, Tharoor managed to mobilize support by 
marketing himself as a candidate whose western education and 
experience would benefit the electorate.  In conversations 
with PolOffs, Tharoor stated that he was conversant enough in 
Malayalam to understand people's problems and that his 
command of English and Hindi would allow him to successfully 
advocate for his constituency in New Delhi.  Tharoor won 45% 
of the vote in a tough four-way race, trumping the leading 
challenger from the Communist Party of India by about 100,000 
votes. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Tharoor's political website and his use of new media 
technologies in his campaign (including emails, voice SMS, 
and the use of social networking websites Facebook and 
Twitter) was novel for political campaigns in India. 
Contacts at the MEA report that Tharoor's Twitter feed has 
ruffled feathers the MEA.  Tharoor wrote about portfolio 
re-assignments after a meeting with Minister Krishna on 
Twitter, contradicting the MEA's prior press release.  One 
MEA contact remarked "I don't understand why he needs a 
virtual entourage. He is a real minister now! He has a real 
entourage!"  Despite his brief time in politics, media 
analysts speculate that he has higher political ambitions. 
Tharoor's non-idelogical approach and ambitious public 
 
NEW DELHI 00001367  002 OF 003 
 
 
persona irk others in his party who see him as an outsider 
who frequently acts unilaterally. 
 
 
Tharoor's Personal Biography 
--- 
 
¶7. (U) Born in London in 1956, Tharoor was educated in India 
at the prestigious St. Stephen's College, and the United 
States, completing a Ph.D. in 1978 at the Fletcher School of 
Law and Diplomacy at the age of 22, a school record.  He is 
an award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction, as well 
as an active speaker on Indian political, economic, and 
social issues.  He is married to Christa Giles, a Canadian 
Deputy Secretary at the United Nations Disarmament 
Commission.  He has twin sons with his first wife Tilottama; 
both attended Yale University. An eloquent speaker, Tharoor 
is fluent in English , French, Hindi, and Spanish, and can 
speak conversational Malayalam.  Tharoor comes from the elite 
Nair caste of Kerala State. 
 
Preneet Kaur, An Outstanding Public Servant 
--- 
 
¶8. (U) Prime Minister Singh appointed Preneet Kaur Minister 
of State for External Affairs after her election to a 
third-term in the 15th Lok Sabha.  Kaur represents the 
Patiala constituency in Punjab.  Kaur is part of Punjab's 
political elite: both her father, Gyan Singh Kahlon, and 
husband, Captain Amrinder Singh, are former Chief Ministers 
of Punjab.  Kaur has an outstanding reputation as a modest 
and honest politician dedicated to public service. 
 
¶9. (U) Kaur,s consecutive elections to the Lok Sabha since 
1999 are notable in Punjab since very few politicians are 
re-elected due to recurring corruption allegations.  Kaur 
hails from the former Patiala royal family and is credited 
with the successful clean-up campaign in Patiala.  Known as 
the Maharani of Patiala in the popular press, Kaur spearheads 
development initiatives in her constituency and is regarded 
as responsive to voter needs.  Her record includes serving on 
parliamentary committees like those on Empowerment of Women 
and Public Undertakings.  Kaur also serves as President of 
the Citizen Welfare Council in Patiala and the Chairperson of 
the State Committee on Female Feticide. 
 
Kaur's Personal Biography 
---- 
 
¶10. (U) Kaur was born on October 3, 1944, in Himachal 
Pradesh.  Her father, Gyan Kahlon, was an influential 
Congress Party leader in Punjab who rose to the position of 
Chief Minister.  She earned a Bachelor's degree and Teachers 
Training Certificate from St. Bedes College and the Convent 
of Jesus and Mary College in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.  Kaur 
married Captain Amrinder Singh in 1964; they have two 
children.  She is an avid golfer and is the Chairperson of 
the Patiala Polo and Riding Club. She speaks Hindi, Punjabi 
and English. 
 
COMMENT 
---- 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  Neither Shashi Tharoor nor Preneet Kaur occupied 
the spotlight in Indian politics until assuming the position 
of State Minister for External Affairs.  Tharoor's strong 
diplomatic credentials and personal ambition make him a solid 
addition to S.M. Krishna's team.  His vast UN experience will 
likely be tapped as India continues its push for a permanent 
seat on the UN Security Council.  Kaur's foreign policy 
credentials fall short of Tharoor's due to her limited 
experience in foreign affairs.  However, her elite 
background, outstanding record of service, and knowledge of 
cultural and social issues are her strengths.  Krishna does 
not have the depth of experience as his predecessor, Pranab 
Mukherjee, so the Ministers of State may play a more 
 
NEW DELHI 00001367  003 OF 003 
 
 
prominent role.  Nevertheless, PM Singh and National Security 
Advisor Narayanan will have the last word on major policy 
decisions regardless of the makeup of high-level officials in 
the External Affairs Ministry (Ref A).  END COMMENT 
BURLEIGH