Humour
"And What Does Your Husband Do?"
by KHUSHWANT SINGH, New Delhi
A charming story doing the rounds of New Delhi's so-called ‘elite' society is about Sardarni Gursharan Kaur's efforts to keep a low profile.
Soon after her husband - Sardar Manmohan Singh - became Prime Minister of India, she found herself in a large reception given in honour of a visiting dignitary.
As is her habit, she took a seat in the outer periphery and sat enjoying her tea and cakes all by herself.
An Indian lady, wife of a desi minister and one who herself presided over a few organizations in the city, saw this plainly dressed woman in white salwar-kameez and introduced herself with all the honorifics of her husband and herself, and then proceeded by asking Gursharan what she did.
"I am a housewife", replied Gursharan.
"And what does your husband do?" asked the desi lady.
"He is in the P.M.O. (Prime Minister's office)", she replied.
"Is he in government service?"
"Yes".
"I.F.S. (Indian Foreign Service)?"
"No".
"I.A.S. (Indian Administrative Service)?"
"No".
"Is he a Secretary, Joint Secretary, or Deputy Secretary?"
"No".
At her wit's ends, the lady finally asked Gursharan: "So what exactly does your husband do in the P.M.O.?"
"He is the Prime Minister".
March 29, 2009
Conversation about this article
1: J. (India), March 30, 2009, 6:58 AM.
Would love to know who that 'elite lady' was :D Interesting anecdote.
2: Rimmy (United States), March 31, 2009, 11:07 AM.
Ha, Ha, Ha!
3: Harjinder Singh (Kalala, Barnala, Punjab), April 02, 2009, 9:53 AM.
Even Sardar Manmohan Singh keeps a low profile, despite the leader of the opposition in India, L.K. Advani deriding and disparaging him. Manmohan Singh is an economist of world repute, though many criticize him for his some of his policies. Nevertheless, he is the one who always has the welfare of the Indian masses in mind. Many Sikhs too say that he is helpless and has not done much to apply balm to the wounded Sikh psyche, but I firmly believe that he is not a typical poltician, who just talks and preaches; he is man of action, who does his job and lets his actions speak for him. He may be handicapped due to various compulsions of his party and coalition politics, but still he has kept his slate clean. May Waheguru give him good and robust health.
4: Gurinder Johal (Amritsar, Punjab), May 31, 2009, 11:08 AM.
Only time will tell how important Manmohan Singh has been to the Sikhs.