Talking the walk

Although the external affairs ministry was keen to provide details of the fate of Indians stuck in Iraq, particularly (the now returned) Indian nurses, it was understandably unwilling to provide the kind of sensitive details about the negotiations that were on to secure their release. Last Thursday, just before one batch of Indians returned, the patience of ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin finally snapped at the constant badgering. "This is not Peepli [Live] that we need to communicate through you with the nurses," Akbaruddin retorted, as he requested the media to understand the gravity of the situation where lives were at stake.