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Manohar Parrikar's penchant for off-the-cuff quips and digs seems to be getting the better of him. The defence minister on Wednesday said he was baffled about Lord Ganesha's eyes getting progressively narrower till he turned the idols around and found they had the "Made in China" stamp.
Parrikar did not stop at just that. Despite the controversy triggered by his recent "use terrorists against terrorists" statement, which Pakistan promptly used to dub India as a state sponsor of terrorism, he seemed quite pleased about having spooked Islamabad with it.
Asked whether Pakistan "ko mirchi lag gayi" with his remark, he sarcastically responded: "I will not go into what Pakistan feels about that but mirchi, woh bhi Andhra ki lagi hai (It has been stung by pungent Andhra chillies)."
The slit-eyed Ganesha anecdote came during his address in a seminar on "Design and Make in India (Electronics)", organized by Vivekananda International Foundation. While stressing the importance of the Modi government's 'Make in India' policy, he said he often got murtis of Gods, especially Ganesha, as gifts when he attended different programmes.
"I found that nowadays the eyes are becoming smaller and smaller. One day, I finally turned around the statue and found Made in China written on it," said Parrikar, quite pleased with the way he had the audience in splits.
Holding that facial features of Saraswati, Ganesha and other gods and goddesses were largely based on paintings of Raja Ravi Verma, the celebrated 19th Century painter, the minister said this could also change since Indian gods were now being imported from China. "So, we have to start Make in India right from Diwali gifts to our own gods. I think it is quite serious (China's edge over India in manufacturing)," he added.
The 60-year-old IITian and former Goa chief minister, who took over as a reluctant defence minister in November, has triggered some concern in military and strategic circles with his free-wheeling ways and loud-thinking.
"He has to remember he is the defence minister of a nuclear-armed country, which aspires to be a regional super-power...every statement he makes is analysed and dissected for its import. Pakistan has latched onto his 'kante se kanta nikalna' (remove a thorn with a thorn) remark to proclaim India uses terrorism as a state policy," said a top military officer.
The armed forces, too, have often been at the receiving end. The Army, for instance, was left shell-shocked when he announced through the media that he had decided to slash the raising of the new mountain strike corps against China by more than half in terms of both manpower and funding.
Similarly, Parrikar's assertion that Somali pirates were "shifting their locations" towards India went completely against India's ongoing case in international forums for removal of the extended piracy "high risk area" from the Arabian Sea near its shores. "A defence minister can be hawkish. But he should have gravitas ... he cannot be flippant, even if he turns up at solemn military functions in half-tucked shirts and floaters," said an official.
Parrikar at it again: This time he talks of narrow-eyed Ganeshas - The Times of India
Chinese Ganesha's eyes narrower, says Parrikar, pitching for 'Make in India'
With even Indian gods being imported from China, defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday narrated how idols of Lord Ganesha were coming into India from that country with eyes becoming narrower and narrower.
Parrikar, who was addressing a seminar on 'Design and Make In India-Electronics,' was talking about the importance of government's flagship initiative.
The minister said he often gets statues of gods, especially Ganesha, as gifts when he attends programmes.
"I found that nowadays the eyes are becoming smaller and smaller. One day I turned it back and found Made in China," he said leaving the audience at Vivekananda International Foundation in splits.
He said Indians have imagined the facial features of Goddess Saraswati and Ganesha among others based on the paintings of Raja Ravi Verma.
"Don't be surprised if it slowly changes. So we have to start 'Make in India' right from Diwali gifts to our own Gods. I think it is quite serious," he said, talking about the Chinese edge over India in manufacturing.
Turning anecdotal while talking about population problem, the Minister said when he was a child his father used to jokingly say that a single atom bomb can solve it.
"The population then was only 35 crore and he considered it to be a problem," he said in a lighter vein.
India, he said, has a large number of youngsters because the country's population is huge.
Parrikar, known for his witty one-liners, also took a dig at Pakistan when a journalist told him that his recent comment on using terrorists to neutralize terrorists has spooked the neighbour (unko mirchi lagi hai).
Parrikar replied, "I will not go into what Pakistan feels about that but mirchi, woh bhi Andhra ki lagi hai".
Chinese Ganesha's eyes narrower, says Parrikar, pitching for 'Make in India' - The Times of India
==========================
Parrikar did not stop at just that. Despite the controversy triggered by his recent "use terrorists against terrorists" statement, which Pakistan promptly used to dub India as a state sponsor of terrorism, he seemed quite pleased about having spooked Islamabad with it.
Asked whether Pakistan "ko mirchi lag gayi" with his remark, he sarcastically responded: "I will not go into what Pakistan feels about that but mirchi, woh bhi Andhra ki lagi hai (It has been stung by pungent Andhra chillies)."
The slit-eyed Ganesha anecdote came during his address in a seminar on "Design and Make in India (Electronics)", organized by Vivekananda International Foundation. While stressing the importance of the Modi government's 'Make in India' policy, he said he often got murtis of Gods, especially Ganesha, as gifts when he attended different programmes.
"I found that nowadays the eyes are becoming smaller and smaller. One day, I finally turned around the statue and found Made in China written on it," said Parrikar, quite pleased with the way he had the audience in splits.
Holding that facial features of Saraswati, Ganesha and other gods and goddesses were largely based on paintings of Raja Ravi Verma, the celebrated 19th Century painter, the minister said this could also change since Indian gods were now being imported from China. "So, we have to start Make in India right from Diwali gifts to our own gods. I think it is quite serious (China's edge over India in manufacturing)," he added.
The 60-year-old IITian and former Goa chief minister, who took over as a reluctant defence minister in November, has triggered some concern in military and strategic circles with his free-wheeling ways and loud-thinking.
"He has to remember he is the defence minister of a nuclear-armed country, which aspires to be a regional super-power...every statement he makes is analysed and dissected for its import. Pakistan has latched onto his 'kante se kanta nikalna' (remove a thorn with a thorn) remark to proclaim India uses terrorism as a state policy," said a top military officer.
The armed forces, too, have often been at the receiving end. The Army, for instance, was left shell-shocked when he announced through the media that he had decided to slash the raising of the new mountain strike corps against China by more than half in terms of both manpower and funding.
Similarly, Parrikar's assertion that Somali pirates were "shifting their locations" towards India went completely against India's ongoing case in international forums for removal of the extended piracy "high risk area" from the Arabian Sea near its shores. "A defence minister can be hawkish. But he should have gravitas ... he cannot be flippant, even if he turns up at solemn military functions in half-tucked shirts and floaters," said an official.
Parrikar at it again: This time he talks of narrow-eyed Ganeshas - The Times of India
Chinese Ganesha's eyes narrower, says Parrikar, pitching for 'Make in India'
With even Indian gods being imported from China, defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday narrated how idols of Lord Ganesha were coming into India from that country with eyes becoming narrower and narrower.
Parrikar, who was addressing a seminar on 'Design and Make In India-Electronics,' was talking about the importance of government's flagship initiative.
The minister said he often gets statues of gods, especially Ganesha, as gifts when he attends programmes.
"I found that nowadays the eyes are becoming smaller and smaller. One day I turned it back and found Made in China," he said leaving the audience at Vivekananda International Foundation in splits.
He said Indians have imagined the facial features of Goddess Saraswati and Ganesha among others based on the paintings of Raja Ravi Verma.
"Don't be surprised if it slowly changes. So we have to start 'Make in India' right from Diwali gifts to our own Gods. I think it is quite serious," he said, talking about the Chinese edge over India in manufacturing.
Turning anecdotal while talking about population problem, the Minister said when he was a child his father used to jokingly say that a single atom bomb can solve it.
"The population then was only 35 crore and he considered it to be a problem," he said in a lighter vein.
India, he said, has a large number of youngsters because the country's population is huge.
Parrikar, known for his witty one-liners, also took a dig at Pakistan when a journalist told him that his recent comment on using terrorists to neutralize terrorists has spooked the neighbour (unko mirchi lagi hai).
Parrikar replied, "I will not go into what Pakistan feels about that but mirchi, woh bhi Andhra ki lagi hai".
Chinese Ganesha's eyes narrower, says Parrikar, pitching for 'Make in India' - The Times of India
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