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It was a mistake: Bhandari
ABU DHABI/DUBAI — The Indian Ambassador to the UAE,
Chandra Mohan Bhandari admitted that he should have avoided his family’s name in the invitation card printed for a dinner at the ambassador’s residence in connection with the Republic Day of India.
“In hindsight, I agree that it was indiscretion to include my daughters’ name in an official invitation. One has to accept that it was a mistake. Yes, I could have avoided it,” Bhandari told Khaleej Times yesterday. Bhandari had included a family event on the official invitation cards issued by the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi on the occasion of the Republic Day of India.
The issue was highlighted in the Indian Press after India’s External Affairs Ministry reprimanded the Indian Ambassador to the UAE Chandra Mohan Bhandari for misusing an official function for personal ends. While a large number of Indian community members expressed that there was nothing wrong in mentioning family members’ names when the ambassador sends an official invitation to the community members for a family gathering, some felt that it was a wrong practice. Many prominent Indians, however, maintained that a mountain had been made out of a molehill.
Defending his action in the same breath, Bhandari said: “The bottomline is that I had no malafide intentions, but only good ones in doing so. The function was purely official, organised by my office in connection with the Republic Day.” Bhandari also noted that ever since he came to the country, everybody had been asking him about his family, and so he took the opportunity to introduce his daughters during the function, as they were in transit. When asked whether the issue was blown out of proportion, Bhandari responded: “I really don’t know how some people can have this kind of an attitude. One is always trying to be as transparent as possible and doing things in full partnership with others.”
“Our ambassador is a man of great values. He is well-learned, scholastic, and has many other qualities that endear him to people’s hearts. And you know, more stones will be thrown at a tree if it is full of fruits,” said B. R. Shetty, CEO and Managing Director of the NMC Group of companies. “I don’t find any fault with what he has done. Everyone knows he is staying alone in the UAE. So, what is the controversy if he took the opportunity to introduce his family to the community when there was a function?” asked Shetty.
Thomas John, President, India Social and Cultural Centre, held that this should have been looked at as an unintentional mistake, as the ambassador was not the kind of man who would misuse his official status for personal gains. “Yes, I do agree that he should not have written his daughters’ names in the official invitation card. But people are unnecessarily blowing it up. From my brief acquaintance with the ambassador, I know that he is a very humane person. I am of the opinion that we community members should strongly support him in this hour,” remarked Thomas John. However, T. P. Gangadharan, ‘Mathrubhubi’ correspondent was of the view that any action undermining the democratic traditions of India at any level should be strongly condemned.
M. K. Madhavan, President, Indian Association Sharjah, said: “I do not think what the ambassador did is wrong. He cannot use any other letterhead while inviting people for a reception in his capacity as an ambassador. It was a family reception and there is nothing wrong in putting their names in the invitation.” He added that such kind of controversies do not help the Indian community and it can ruin the goodwill of the community before other nationalities.
Joy Varghese, a marketing professional, said: “I do not think what the ambassador did is right. He should not have used the national emblem while inviting people to a private reception to meet his family members. It was an invitation to celebrate the 56th anniversary of the Republic Day of India. It is not right to send out an invitation for this event with the names of family members.”
Ramkumar, an accountant, said: “The ambassador should not mix family matters with official duties, especially while inviting people for a function to celebrate the 56th anniversary of the Indian Republic Day. It is a disrespect to the country to use an official letterhead with the national emblem to invite people to meet family members.”
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