Every question at the press conference for the Indian media last Wednesday was answered with erudite eloquence. Be it the details of the nuclear deal he had struck with President George W Bush. Be it the matter of terrorism that appears to have been relegated to a supporting part at the Bush-Singh summit. Be it the Iran pipeline (his comments were incidentally quite different in tone from what he told (registration needed) The Washington Post editorial board earlier that morning) Be it the issue that he believes will be India's top priority in the years to come (water).

It is not that Dr Singh is at complete ease with the Indian media.

Only two members of the media delegation accompanying the prime minister on his special flight to the United States appeared to enjoy his confidence -- Hari Krishna Dua, editor-in-chief, The Tribune, and Narasimhan Ravi, editor, The Hindu.

Dr Singh treated both veterans to an exclusive briefing on our way to Washington and back (let me make an envy disclosure here!). The Indian media were permitted to ask only two questions at the joint press conference with President Bush and it was no surprise that he called on Duasaab -- who, incidentally, was then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's media adviser -- and Mr Ravi to pose those queries despite the many hands that went up, including my senior colleague, Aziz Haniffa.

Duasaab, of course, threw a curved ball at Bush when he asked the President if he would 'like to reaffirm the US stand that the sanctity of the Line of Control cannot be violated by anyone?' For one long moment Bush looked bewildered, glanced for assistance from his Cabinet -- including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice -- before winging it in the style that comes effortlessly when you have been President of the United States for 54 months.

Photograph: Paresh Gandhi

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