In this episode of Editorial, HW News Managing Editor Sujit Nair examines the controversy involving Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng during Prime Minister Modi’s Norway visit. Lyng’s question to the Prime Minister — and the tense exchange that followed with MEA Secretary Sibi George — quickly went viral.
Mr. Nair explains why Secretary George’s response lacked brevity and composure, and how such incidents can damage India’s international image and diplomatic standing.
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[00:00:00] Haley Lynn asked him, why should we trust India? But Mr. Sibi George, I think he got a little emotional, he got carried away. I thought I was listening to political speech by a particular political party. Every time somebody says something about your country or your Prime Minister, it doesn't really mean that they are anti-national or they are out to ruin India's future and all that. It doesn't work that way. Why are we so insecure?
[00:00:33] Namaskar! Welcome to another episode of HW News Editorial. You see, communication is what communication does. This is something that it's a very basic lesson. What normally you learn when you get into advertising and communication business.
[00:00:55] What I mean by that is communication can ensure you benefit out of the situation or communication can ensure that that same situation puts you into trouble. So, that is why I say communication is what communication does.
[00:01:19] Let's go! We will keep it in the side. Let's come to the story. See, the story starts with our Prime Minister, our good Prime Minister in his foreign visit and visiting Norway. He goes into Norway and as usual, Prime Minister of course doesn't speak to the press and all that. That's something that he is not used to. If you go into the press, he'll be in the United States and all. He answers at least two questions. In India, of course, you can't ask him questions, but he can't. That is our life.
[00:01:47] But here what happens is, the Prime Minister is addressing the media which was invited by the government of Norway. And it was not a press meet. Let me underline that. That's what I wanted to communicate. It was not a press meet. He was addressing this room. And as always, he spoke and he was moving out. And that was the time when a press reporter called Haley Lynn asked Prime Minister to take a question.
[00:02:15] Prime Minister Modi, why don't you take some questions from the freest press in the world? Okay. Now let's understand the situation once again. This was not a press conference. That's a fact. This was not a press conference. And the Prime Minister of India was not obligated to answer this lady from the press. He was definitely not obligated to answer the lady from the press.
[00:02:39] But you know what happens? What happens is, when you never answer press, then you're tagged as somebody who doesn't answer press. So she went out and said that, you know, we are the freest press in the world. We are number one. Norway is number one, ranked number one in press freedom index.
[00:02:59] We, of course, are ranked 157th in the press freedom index. So, okay, this lady said that, you know, why don't you take questions from the freest press in the world? And Mr. Narendra Modi walked out. Now this woman took this as an opportunity. She went and plastered it in social media saying that, you know, I asked the Prime Minister question,
[00:03:24] Prime Minister didn't answer, Prime Minister walked out and which is actually a fact also. Okay. And yeah, it got traction. A lot of people said, very bad. How could the Prime Minister not answer you? And a lot of people, especially trolls, started trolling her, saying that, what nonsense?
[00:03:41] You know, you're anti-national. You are foreign, whatever, propagandist or whatever, whatever, whatever. Western media trying to malign Indian image and all that. All sorts of trolls happened. So, she got her popularity. She was riding in that wave. She was overnight a star. So, that's what happened.
[00:04:05] In fact, you know what? Her Instagram handle also got suspended because trolls, especially I'm sure our trolls, our right wing trolls started reporting her Instagram and her Instagram page got suspended. So on and so forth. There she became a martyr. And guess whose image got spoiled? Guess whose image got spoiled?
[00:04:29] Now, this is where I started my editorial saying that communication is what communication does. The next day, our foreign secretaries and our bureaucrats, our diplomats took a press conference. And there was a gentleman called Sibi George. He's the secretary, Ministry of External Affairs. He took questions.
[00:04:57] And he was asked by the same lady, the same Haley Lynn asked him, Okay, why should we believe, why should we trust India? She asked. Now, you know what, for a bureaucrat, for a diplomat, I don't think that was that difficult a question to answer. But Mr. Sebi George, I think he got a little emotional. He got carried away.
[00:05:22] While I appreciate his efforts, let me tell you that, I appreciate his efforts. He was trying to defend his country. So I appreciate his efforts. But then, I also remind myself that he's a diplomat. He's trained to defend his country. He's trained to defend his country. But what he displayed in that particular press conference was not trained diplomacy. What he displayed in that press conference was absolute emotions.
[00:05:48] I thought I was listening to a political speech by a particular political party. And this was one of those, you know, those rallies, you know, that I was listening to. Hear this out. Hear this out. I am wondering, as we strengthen our partnership, why should we trust you? Can you promise that you will try to stop the human rights violations that goes on in your country?
[00:06:18] And also, will the Prime Minister start taking critical questions from the Indian press at some point in the future? And also, if possible, I would like you to answer straight away. Okay. Right now. Like now. We have a question there. But I might also have follow up questions. So it would be better if you answer right away and then I can follow up. So, let me, I am conducting the press conference. We are celebrating the Constitution.
[00:06:47] This is the beauty of India. And we are so proud of that. So every human being in India has a fundamental right. Right to go to the court if his right is infringed upon. This is the beauty of India, which we are very proud of. We hear a lot of people asking questions about why this, why that. But let me tell you this. We are one sixth of the total population of the world, but not one sixth of the problems of the world.
[00:07:14] We have a constitution which guarantees the rights of the people, fundamental rights of the people. We have, you know, we have equal rights for the women of our country, which is very important. And we are proud that we are a civilizational country of 5,000 years old. Continuous civilization. Continuous civilization. Contributed immensely to the world. You look around.
[00:07:44] You see an India connect everywhere in the world. India has, you know, the numbers which you see on your phones. It is originated in India. Shunya, zero originated in India. Chess originated in India. So we are proud of that civilization. Yoga, which the world admires today. It originated in India. India had epics and books. Let me answer the question.
[00:08:14] Please don't interrupt me. Please don't interrupt me. You ask me a question. Please. This is my press conference. You ask why should a country trust India? Why should, why should a country, why should a country trust India? Why should a country trust India? Let me answer that question. Please. Please. So it was not about diplomacy. It was not about. He gave, he gave history lessons. He gave geography lessons. He gave cultural lessons.
[00:08:45] He gave all the lessons. He everything he spoke about. And of course, like I said, Haley Lynn. Helly Lynn was surfing the situation. She was surfing the situation. She created every possible hurdle that she could. She interrupted him because she felt that he is not answering to the point. She interrupted him. She walked out and she came in and all of that happened in that end also.
[00:09:07] But then, my question, my question, who made all of this happen? Who started this? Who actually, who helped Helly Lynn to achieve whatever she wanted to? Who helped? Was it them or was it us? Did we actually promote Helly Lynn?
[00:09:33] Promote by actually supporting her, her, her claim, getting excited with her question, actually trying to combat her, actually being defensive. So did we in some form or another promote a Helly Lynn? Think about it. You see, somewhere down the line, a diplomat had to answer a very specific question.
[00:09:59] Like I told you, I don't think that was a very difficult question for a diplomat to answer. I thought Mr. Sebi George, with his kind of seniority and experience, would have answered it very easily and very specifically. Without mincing words, without, you know, without going into history, geography, emotions and all that, this could have been answered well. You know, I want to take, I want to draw your attention to one,
[00:10:23] one such speech that was made in the United Nations by again, our foreign diplomat. Just have a year. A resolution of all issues in an atmosphere free of terror, violence and violence. And I'm ready if any of you are willing to ask any questions, I will take. I understand there are many of you. This is my first time. So I said, please cut me slack.
[00:10:51] And I… Yes, I will. Don't worry. I will. Please, I'll start with you. And just relax. I will start with you and I will answer five questions, which is five times more than both my predecessors who came here answered. Let's start you since you are so excited. The fact remains, while you have said all these things that you're willing to talk and you're ready to talk.
[00:11:17] But what has happened? The fact remains India has set fastly refused to have any meeting with Pakistan for one reason or another. It has been almost time immemorial. When are you going to sit down with Pakistan and have a meeting? Because you know, and that's the reality. Thank you. Without the meeting… Can I answer? Can I answer the question? Let's be specific about the question. Did you see any emotions? Did you see any jingoism?
[00:11:45] But wasn't the message communicated precisely? That's what is expected out of diplomacy. Again, I am not criticizing Sebi George. He got emotional. He spoke emotionally, which is fine, which is okay, which is what he did. And like I said, appreciate that he was defending his country. But my question is, was the method correct? The last point I want to make in this editorial. I want to make in this editorial.
[00:12:14] You know, a lot of us sit in our drawing rooms and try to be freedom fighters and protectors of the nation by trolling somebody, by being rude to somebody, at times threatening somebody. Is it actually helping us? Every time somebody criticizes your country, do you think that person is attacking our country? Or why are we taking that stand that a person who is criticizing is always attacking our country?
[00:12:43] And if you do that, what do you think is actually happening? Are you helping our country or are you reinstating that particular person's criticism across the globe? Are you making the globe believe more that what that person is criticizing is correct? You think about it. Every time somebody says something about your country or your prime minister, it doesn't really mean that, you know, they are anti-national or they are out to, you know, kind of ruin India's future and all that. It doesn't work that way.
[00:13:14] Why are we so insecure? Why are we so insecure? And this whole concept about Naya Bharat, the aggressive Naya Bharat that we are trying to project ourselves as anybody says anything and you use all the possibilities. And most of them are very uncivilized to kind of ridicule that person, troll that person, humiliate that person, threaten that person, report that person.
[00:13:42] Is that actually helping your cause? So my question again is, is this Naya Bharat? This aggressive form of Naya Bharat, is this Naya Bharat helping our image? Or is it harming our image? You think about it. Write down your comments in the comment box below and let me know. I'll wait for your response till I see you next time. That's tomorrow at 10. Namaskar.