Foreign Minister’s extradition crisis
Being behind the scenes on a campaign trail is almost a sacrosanct experience that often marks the coming of age of media persons in America. They take black and white photographs of Presidential candidates in various stages of deshabille, when they eat or when they grab forty winks or when they are getting up to go to the men's room. These photographs are then reproduced in (sometimes grainy) black and white because they are supposed to capture the candid moments of a campaign that's often stage-managed to the point of killing spontaneity altogether.

Being behind the scenes with a Foreign Minister may be nothing like being behind the scenes with the US Presidential candidate, but yet, certain moments that are removed from the glare of the spotlight are memorable and can be edifying. When Foreign Minister Kadirgamar was interviewed by CNN for instance recently in a small studio in Washington DC, being there for this writer was like seeing the behemoth in miniature. The behemoth being CNN - not the Foreign Minister.

Mr. Kadirgamar was ushered into the small waiting area outside the studio, and then rushed into an ante room for a dash of make-up. Then, he is back again in the waiting room with the few people around him being made to feel comfortable while he is himself being made a little anxious by all the attention. Then comes the go-ahead for him to be taken to the studio, and while he is seated there with his coffee on the table one almost sees the ultimate loneliness of the modern day politician.

Everybody is ushered out of the studio except one of his immediate aides, and all the rest of us are motioned into a room that is probably best described as the Editor's mess. It's where dozens of monitors capture the Minister's every move as he waits for Veronica Pedrosa to fire those few questions via Satellite. Now, this Pedrosa person, she's another story.

The Minister is told that his interviewer is a lady by the name of Veronica. Minutes later, the said Veronica is doing justice to her satellite hookup, making sure the Minister answers every pointed question from ceasefire to his government's commitment to peace. But I'm more interested in the few humbling moments before the interviewer comes on -- the Minister in his enforced loneliness, at one point peeking into the camera with a hand over his eyes for shade to cut the glare of the spotlight. Though his wife is told that she can be in the studio behind the forest of equipment, she chooses not to negotiate that labyrinth.

In the end Veronica Pedrosa finishes the interview, and then we can see the taming of the shrew. The satellite hookup is made use of for some banter between interviewer and interviewee. "Veronica you must come to Sri Lanka sometime,'' says the Minister, adding that there is a direct airline from Hong Kong where she is stationed. Veronica is all giggles and gossamer by now. She says her co-anchor knows much about Sri Lanka, and visits the place often because he "even owns some property there.''

Says the Minister that this is very interesting, and adds that the consul in Hong Kong is a very fine man and that she could get whatever help from him to fly over some time. "You should do that,'' he says, and adds a cheery goodbye. When the Minister comes back from the studio to the waiting area, somebody says I (this writer…) knew the interviewer's second name even when she was introduced simply as Veronica. The Minister turns to me to say "I didn't know you were a student of these matters.'' A student of CNN? Well, you must watch the devil to criticise , no?

I wasn't part of the Ministerial team -- if the fourth estate can claim that distance. But recalling these happenings behind the spotlight may for the dear reader have more value than just that of the passing glance behind the structured image. At least it showed me that the politician's pitfalls can also be substantial no matter how much we'd like to vilify him or her once that final word appears in print or that controversial image is registered on screen.

For example, when the South Asian press met the Minister at the Ritz Carlton hotel, these men with their writing pads and inquisitive noses instantly got down to business. There were one or two questions about the new government, to a Minister who was perhaps looking for some light jaw and loosening-up before getting into the hard bargain between politician and journalist.

But openers were short. About the third question was " now that Congress is in power,'' (the news had just been heard by all of us and around the world a few hours ago that morning) "what does your government do if there is a request for the extradition of Prabhakaran?''

The Minister was only beginning to wipe the sleep off his eyes, and he had barley heard that Sonia Gandhi had won. His answer is actually something to the effect that it's too early to tell - - but the South Asians press on. Eventually he allows that if the matter comes up it will be one between the two countries, and this it seems is as diplomatic an answer one can come up with under the circumstances.

The next day, Tamil websites and newspapers taunt him severely. Some even say "so let him come and try to extradite Prabhakaran'' throwing a challenge bathed abundantly in sarcasm. It's as if the Minister summoned a press conference soon after the Indian elections results were out, for the specific announcement "we will extradite Prabhakaran.'' No mention of probing intrepid South Asian journalists, to whom their coffee didn't matter as long as they could get some Ministerial quote – anything that can be put down in one English sentence - about Prabhakran's extradition.

Well, it may not be the loneliness of the long distance runner, but there is definitely a certain loneliness of the politician. That's not to say a politician is not responsible for his work -- but rather it's to say that sometimes perspective can indeed be lost. A politician with all the razzmatazz that surrounds him is a creature that is at least some of the time, helpless in the face of the demands placed on him via the quirks and happenstances of public life.

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