Meet MEA Secretary Sibi George from Pala; Norway reporter storms out of press meet following tense exchange

OSLO: A full-blown clash ensued between a Norwegian reporter and the MEA secretary (West) in Norway during the press conference. The journalist Helle Lyng asked the question to MEA secretary (West) Sibi George, a day after she hollered at PM Narendra Modi, asking if he would take questions from the freest press in the world. PM Modi, nonchalant to the query, walked out of the room while MEA confirmed that a press conference will be held soon.

Helkle Lyng appeared at the press meet today and asked the diplomat why Norway should trust India, as she cast doubt on India for its infamous human rights violations. This led to a tense exchange between the diplomat and the journalist.

“You people don’t understand the scale of India. There are 200 TV channels in New Delhi alone in multiple languages, including English. Many stories are coming up every hour. You, people, care to read articles published by a few ignorant NGOs and believe it as authentic.

We have a constitution that allows fundamental rights, and women enjoy equality in the country. They have the right to vote and even change the government. We revel in the democratic process and are proud nonetheless," said MEA Secretary Sibi George.

Amid the response, journalist Helle Lyng walked out of the presser, which she later clarified, saying she went out to collect drinking water.

Diplomat Sibi George hails from the Podimattam family of Pala in the Kottayam district of Kerala. George is no stranger to tough assignments and has weathered all seasons, as his previous assignments were in locations as tense as Tehran and Islamabad.

Sibi George comes with three decades of experience in diplomacy, and today he put everything into use with a detailed explanation of India’s civilizational history, religious diversity, and democratic structure, while the journalist expected tailor-made answers just mentioning the basic points. At one point, the diplomat also asked the reporter not to intervene, telling her it was his press conference, not hers.