MEA diplomat’s lecture on Indian civilisation is an evasive manoeuvre to avoid questions on PM Modi

To be fair, neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor the Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store answered questions at a joint press ‘appearance’ in Oslo on Monday, 18 May. PM Modi was asked by a Norwegian journalist to respond to media questions as was the norm in Norway. He however chose not to answer the question and walked out of the room, followed by the Norwegian PM.

The journalist, Helle Lyng Svends, a correspondent for Dagsavisen, stood up after the press statements made by PM Modi and PM Store at the Government Guest House in Oslo.

“Prime Minister Modi, why don’t you take questions from the freest press in the world,” Svends said, then following him out of the room, asked “Do you deserve the trust of our… government?

Shortly after, PM Store returned to the room after seeing off PM Modi, and spoke to Norwegian journalists. After a business event at the city hall on Monday (May 18) evening, Store also met with Indian journalists.

The public embarrassment was compounded by the Indian embassy in Norway, which invited the journalists to a ‘press briefing’ at Hotel Radisson Blu in the evening and ask questions.

The mission even tagged Helle Lyng and invited her to the briefing.

The press briefing also quickly turned into an embarrassment with Indian diplomat Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the MEA and in charge of PM Modi’s visit, delivering an insane and undiplomatic rant in answer to the same question.   

The senior MEA official said, “We hear a lot of people asking why this, why that, but let me tell you this. We are one sixth of the total population of the world, but not one sixth of the problems of the world”.

“We have a constitution which guarantees the fundamental rights of the people. We have equal rights for the women of our country, which is very important”.

India, he said, was a civilisational country and a democratic society for five thousand years. India had immensely contributed to the world. Yoga originated in India, he went on to say. Chess originated in India, he added and picked up his mobile phone to claim that the numbers on the keyboard also originated in India.

"People misunderstand India by reading reports by ignorant NGOs", he asserted. Upset and visibly angry at the Norwegian journalist interrupting his monologue, he rudely put her down. People who question India were ignorant, he suggested, and went by some stray ‘godforsaken’ article or report that maligned the country. India’s human rights record was just fine and people who have a problem with it can go to the court, he added.

"Do not interrupt me, do not interrupt me, do not interrupt me; you asked me a question. Why should India be trusted? Let me answer the question...”

Asked why should Norway trust India when fundamental rights are being violated, the Indian diplomat fumed and said, ‘we have Gandhi, ancient civilisation and a constitution that guarantees fundamental rights’.

The reporter, refusing to relent, persisted.

“I know India has fundamental rights. That is why I asked about violations. ‘If rights are violated, people can go to court’, the diplomat responded. The journalist would not settle for the answer. "That’s the point. Why are people forced to go to court for basic rights?"

The diplomat, at a loss for words, said, ‘It’s my press conference. I will decide’. India is the land of yoga, has handled COVID well, and exports vaccines and medicines, she was told.

The diplomat did not answer Lyng’s second question, “Will the prime minister start taking critical questions from the Indian press at some point in the future?”

The undignified and undiplomatic rant would have embarrassed India’s diplomats. But more was to come. The determined Norwegian journalist soon took to X in English to have her say and reach out to Indians.

“Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, would not take my question, I was not expecting him to. Norway has the number one spot on the World Press Freedom Index, India is at 157th, competing with Palestine, Emirates & Cuba. It is our job to question the powers we cooperate with,” posted Helle Lyng Svends, inviting trolls from India to attack her as a foreign agent. They also released her personal details and phone number to increase the harassment.

“I wish Norwegian media would take a few questions from us as well. We would like to speak truth to western media hegemony too,” posted a veteran Indian editor R Jagannathan.

A Modi fan from India voiced his outrage by exclaiming, “Norway abolished its blasphemy law only in 2015, and you lecture us about freedom of speech?” The Hindustan Times published a report online on 19 May under the headline ‘Who is Sibi George?’, who, the report claimed, was receiving praise for defending India in Norway.  

The embarrassment for the Indian PM had started even before he arrived in Norway. Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten published an opinion piece with the headline

"En lur og litt irriterende mann" (A clever and somewhat annoying man) by commentator Frank Rosavik about PM Modi, timed with his May 18-19, 2026 Norway visit.  Asked to verify the front page, this is what AI tool Grok had to say: ‘The image matches the article. Norway has independent media; embassies don't control editorial content’.

“I never thought I would have to write this, but I am not a foreign spy of any sort, sent out by any foreign government. My colleague and I asked questions tonight both on why we should trust India given the human violations rights, and also about the visit. I tried multiple times to get them to be specific on human rights, but I was unsuccessful. The representatives talked about India’s effort during Covid & also yoga, among other things,” Helle Lyng posted on X.

“Journalism is sometimes confrontational. We seek answers. If any interview subject, especially with power, do not answer what I asked, I will try to interrupt and get a more focused response. That is my job & duty. I want answers and not just talking points,” she posted on Tuesday, 19 May.