Obama visit - our obsession with pak (75th Blog)

Whether we may like to call it a historic visit or not, US President Barack Obama charmed everyone with his fine oratory and informal conduct during his tour of India. Much of the tour was marred by the obsession of jingoistic Indians to treat US Presidents like hen-pecked husbands. They behave as if their soul will not rest unless the US President says a word or two against Pakistan. Even the media was behaving like a spoilt child as if Obama was a Santa Claus, who is obliged to offer goodies on the eve of Diwali. Pakistan is the spoilt child of the 21st century which always wants to hyphenate itself vis-à-vis India. If the US offers a nuclear deal to India, Pakistan desires the same. If the US President visits India, Pakistan desires that he should come to Pakistan also. Does India want to go the Pakistan way?

The equations have changed today. The US President is coming to India because he means business and he views India as a global business partner, though strategically US prefers Pakistan as an ally in its war efforts against the Taliban in Afghanistan. India should be happy that Barack Obama does not see India through the prism of Pakistan. It has always been our foreign policy not to involve any foreign country in our bilateral issues with neighboring countries. Then why get obsessed with the mediation of US regarding our bilateral issues? Isn’t it contradictory? I agree with the US President that India should solve its problems with its neighboring countries on its own and that a stable Pakistan is in the interests of India rather than the other way around.

There was an air of uncertainty all around India since the visit of Barack Obama. “Why is Obama not mentioning Pakistan?” Our country is full of immature politicians who will jump the gun and speak whatever comes to mind once a mike is presented before them. One of them belonging to the mainstream opposition party shouted in a sense of false bravado against the US President for not speaking against Pakistan.

The media dubbed Barack Obama as the Salesman President. From the time of his visit, Obama has been clear. He had come for creation of jobs in US and for increasing the volumes of business between India and the US. Trade cannot be a one-way street. Obama did his bit for the US. It is upto the Indian Government to secure its business interests. We have to be clear that Barack Obama is the President of the United States and Dr. Manmohan Singh is the Prime Minister of India.

The silence of Barack Obama was finally broken when a student asked the expected question in the minds of many during his interaction with students at the Mumbai’s St. Xaviers College. Barack Obama gave a long-winded reply which did not actually satisfy the students. It was obvious that the students felt very proud to meet Obama. Will they dare to speak against a student with a famous surname studying in St. Xaviers for his protests against a book “Such a Long Journey” which goes against the tenets of democracy? Overall, the reaction of the students was very positive and they understood the compulsions of the US President. They desperately felt the need for politicians like Obama in India. In India, politics is a one-way street. Even the elected corporators become egoistic and so cut-off from the general public that they indulge more in formalities and protocol related issues rather than getting down to business.

I was impressed with Arya Ika, a 7 year old delegate in US President Barack Obama’s business team who was here to strike lucrative deals for his family-owned $500 million-turnover innovative health technology firm. The emphasis in the policies of our country should be to invest in R&D and discover, create and maintain newer technologies. Higher GDP rate does not mean increase in Human Development Index (HDI). The needs of the agriculture sector and reforms in the Education Sector should be given high priority. The US President is not going to do them for us. The youth of our country take pleasure in criticizing the Babus of the Public Sector for the slow pace of work. But they are not ready to take up jobs in Public Sector or join politics and be the change rather than advocate the change.

We are more used to politicians buying people for attending their rallies, indulging in personal abuses and pass it off as oratorical skills. Our frustration against the likes of Arundhati Roy shows the dearth of good speakers and visionaries who can outwit these publicity seeking activists in their same coin. The only way of protest that we Indians know is to orchestrate bandhs and destroy public property, all in the name of Public Interest.
Finally Barack Obama did say something what we all wanted to hear in the joint session of Parliament, with a few caveats. India has its own compulsions regarding its stand on Burma and Iran. There are no free lunches in international diplomacy. “India is not rising, it has risen”, says Obama. It is upto us to introspect where we stand.

 

thanks for your views. I had to put this visit in the proper perspective

cheers
suresh

 

I was disappointed by the poor media coverage. So, I wished to write what I felt about the Visit. I am very positive about the India story. But we need good leaders

cheers
suresh