OBAMA GIVES HUMAN TOUCH TO INDO-USA STRATEGIC CO-OPERATION
Tejinder Narang
President Obama in his “town hall”
address of 27th January 2015 at New Delhi shed inhibitions of his
Presidency. He shared with audience certain personal experiences of his life
and related them with global peace and prosperity. Since I was personally
present at the Siri Fort Auditorium, I could sense the positivity of his vibrations.
There were moments of introspective emotions, generated by a very articulate
and sincere speaker, flowing out from the depths of his inner being. It was
perhaps a strategic outspokenness with human touch.
He was not speaking as a
politician or as the most powerful person of this planet but as an individual
who surmounted ups and downs of his life and compared them to the similarity of
social, economic and political milieu in India.
There were no pre –written ideas or texts but an assortment of thoughts that
crowd human consciousness and which manifest themselves when a person wishes to
speak his mind out with warmth and affection.
American electorates have rightly
chosen twice this President—a great “human being” tremendously gifted in the
multiple facets of the Presidency, just as Indians have elected extremely
competent, dedicated and visionary Prime Minister in May 2014. Both are commoners who struggle every moment
for guiding destinies of world’s dominant nations, unlike those who are
supported by inheritance of family or political lineage.
By random spray of Indian terminology
of “Namasate”, “Bahut Dhanvad”, “Bade bade deshon mein”, “Bhangra” ,”Kerala”,”
Banks of Ganges” “Dalit” “Jai Hind” etc. and mentioning names of revered
personalities like Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi –he evoked attention of
all and sundry, including thousands of students who were part of the audience.
At other time he mentioned about Shah Rukh Khan, Mari-Kom, Milikha singh to
descript Indian excellence and diversity. Such utterances and personalised
chemistry with Indian public were totally absent during previous visits of Bill
Clinton and George Bush. Neither flavour of such an intimacy can be replicated
by the Chinese president XI Jinping, or Russia’s Putin, or Australia’s Tony
Abbott.
Obama mentioned of his very
modest family roots. His grandfather was a cook in the British army in Kenya
and that distant branches of his wife, the first lady, Michelle’s family,
belonged to slaves and slaves’ owners. The discrimination against him due to
colour of his skin and religion are the issues that concern India too. He remarked “It is a matter of pride to live
in countries where a grandson of a cook can become President and the son of a
tea-seller can become PM or a Dalit as a writer of the Indian constitution”.
The President referred to Swami
Vivekananda speech in his home town Chicago about 100 years ago where the
former addressed the gathering as “sisters and brothers” of America. Obama
likewise responded to the listeners as “sisters and brothers” of India. Even if
it is political statement, the reference is apt to candidly capture minds of
Indian communities. Likewise late, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspiration was
Mahatma Gandhi for non –violent struggle against racism, gender/economic inequality
and freedom with dignity. He gave added stress to the word Gandhi “Ji”— for endearing
reverence to the Father of the Nation.
His respect for women could be
inferred from the numerous references he interfaced in the name of his wife. He
said “I am married to a strong, talented woman who is not afraid to speak her
mind when she thinks I am wrong. If nations want to succeed, they cannot simply
ignore the talent of almost half their people”. With these words he implied
education, empowerment, employment and dignity of women. Their contribution in
Indian context for bringing up cohesive families was another vital point
flagged by him.
His family, he explained, is
strengthened by Christian faith but some people have questioned his faith and
have labelled him with a different religion as if that was a bad thing. “And
too often religion has been used to tap into those darker impulses as opposed
to the light of God”. Thus he uttered about the universality of respect and
tolerance about all religions and faith.
His advice was—“India will
succeed so long as it is not splintered along the lines of religious faith --
so long as it's not splintered along any lines -- and is unified as one nation”.
Though these remarks are considered controversial in the current Indian
context, but do not forget that his next destination was Saudi Arabia where the
focus of world’s most violent conflict is between Sunni-Islam and Shia- Islam. Indeed he was bold enough to convey
tangentially his firm conviction even to all Islamic states, which many world
leaders dare not. “Are we measured by our efforts -- by what Dr. Martin Luther
King called “the content of our character” or the manner in which we worship
our God”.
He was forthright in admission that
USA was responsible for the higher fossil fuel emissions—but that past must be
left behind and that India must co-operate in the present for cleaner climate
change for us and future generations. To sum up the deliverable of his visits,
he also endorsed bilateralism in economic and educational development, digital
technologies, “breakthrough” (though not fully clarified so far) on the issue
of civil nuclear energy where the dual use of technology always remains a
suspect; collaboration in space, defence, trade and investments, and peace in the
region.
He concluded with most poignant
words—“Sisters and brothers of India, we are not perfect countries. And we’ve
known tragedy and we've known triumph. We’re home to glittering
skyscrapers, but also terrible poverty; and new wealth, but also rising
inequality. But the reason I stand here today that despite our
imperfections, our two nations possess the keys to progress in the century
ahead”.
Irrespective
of geopolitical interests or what transpires in Indo-USA relationships in
coming years, Obama is sensitive to the tender impulses of humanity.
As an Invitee to the event at Siri Fort
Auditorium
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