The M factor

Among the many reasons that Delhi’s civil service grapevine cites as an explanation for the unexpected extension given to Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar is the same old “M” factor — M for Malayali. If the prime minister had gone purely by seniority, the next in line was another Malayali gentleman, Urban Development Secretary M Ramachandran. With Shiv Shankar Menon succeeding fellow Malayali M K Narayanan, who succeeded Malayali J N Dixit, and with principal secretary to the PM being T K A Nair, Home Secretary G K Pillai and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, nee Menon, the non-Malayali sections of the bureaucracy pitched strongly for Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla — the only eligible non-Malayali secretary on New Delhi’s Raisina Hill. Unable to choose between Ramachandran and Chawla, the PM did the famous Narasimha Rao thing, “no decision is also a decision”, and merely allowed the incumbent to stay on. The problem is even he is a Malayali! But, his delayed exit will now finally pave the way for a non-Malayali on Raisina Hill!