On Obama’s India Visit

I want to make two comments on American President Barack Obama’s recently concluded visit to India.
 

What Obama Wanted: During the most of his visit, Obama acted like the CEO of USA, which is good as such. His visit seemed to be focused only on a few issues related to interests of the US. And he got what he wanted – several publicized deals. Though I don’t think the much touted 50,000 jobs is a big deal. Population of US is 31,02,16,000 and with 10% unemployment rate, absolute unemployment becomes 3,10,21,600. 50,000 is only 0.16% of the unemployment figure. Even if he visits 100 countries in a year and win 50,000 jobs in each nation – he would only make up 16.11% of the unemployment figure. The remaining would be a challenge hard to tackle. This is why I see error in his strategy of “winning jobs”. He should be doing something for American economy and a boastful economy would generate far more jobs. (Though controversial, but facilitating the sale of some American companies to Indian or Japanese hands (in deep pockets) would help the US rather than giving American companies some subsidies. And I see even the reverse strategy paying off to the US – allow more Indian and non-US based MNCs enter, expand, and diversify in the US market – that would create far more number of jobs in the US than trying to open up Indian market for the troubled and uncertain American companies.)
 

How Opposition behaved: Following up the press coverage, I noticed a very good trend. The opposition has really been constructive and responsible on the issues related to Obama’s visit. It may be because it was AB Vajpayee of BJP/NDA who had forged Indo-US alliance in real terms. During his visit to the US, Mr. Vajpayee used the term “Natural Partners” for India, which Obama is accepting now. At that time the US President Clinton reciprocated to Vajpayee’s gesture and then on a new era of Indo-US partnership started. May be the BJP is still carrying on with its policy. Also, this time the BJP has not been only goody-goody. The party took a strong line and pushed the govt to be a bit assertive about US response on terrorism and Pakistan. During the last leg of his visit, Obama did make some strong anti-terrorism statements in a way targeted to Pakistan, and with his support for India’s candidature for UN Security Council, the relationship turned towards becoming win-win than being only one sided affair. Credit goes to the BJP in particular and opposition in general too.
 

In any case, I wish only the best for Indo-US friendship. What started from Swami Vivekananda’s visit should culminate in better ties and a close relationship between the two great nations.

Making Mess of the Great American Dream

There are some fundamental principles which managers and economists follow for better effectiveness. One of them is: “Cure the cause, not the symptoms.” After reading Barack Obama’s recent comment, I wonder when he would understand it.
 

I have to protect American jobs: Obama on outsourcing
 

President Barack Obama indicated that he was unlikely to accommodate India’s concerns about his policy of discouraging outsourcing of US jobs, saying it was his responsibility to support jobs and opportunity for the American people. Obama has recently spoken against outsourcing of American jobs to countries like India and offered tax breaks for those creating jobs in the US.
 

https://www.ndtv.com/article/india/i-have-to-protect-american-jobs-obama-on-outsourcing-64306 (Nov 3, 2010)
 

I strongly believe that a dearth of jobs in an economy is a symptom rather than a cause. It is a symptom indicating towards some rot beneath a decently looking economy. It should ideally make one re-look at one’s economic model and at some fundamental review of policies; rather than trying some popular gimmicks like tax-breaks or subsidies. After following Obama’s speeches and policies from before his election, I have always felt he is more bent towards taking popular decisions rather than the right but difficult ones. Whenever Obama compares American education system with India’s, I think about our basic literacy rate and brain-drain and shrug off his worries. When he talks about concerns for American companies and Indian IT, I just compare the size of IBM ($103.6 billion in 2009) with that of India’s biggest TCS ($6.5 billion in 2010) and laugh at his contention. India has more number of jobs because Indians do jobs on the lower value chain, at cheapest rates; which not many Americans would choose to do. And if you force such jobs back to the US at those high salaries, American companies would become uncompetitive. So why should there be all this hype? I think Obama has his priorities wrong. Instead of saying, “I have to protect American Jobs”, he should think, “I have to prosper American Economy.” And he should remember the basics: free movement of human resources is key to achieve that economic development in today’s knowledge based economy. Just imagine one Indian-born PhD making a Patent for one American company – it would sustain so many other jobs both in the US and in other parts of the world – for years.
 

Sometimes I feel Indians have a better choice of their leader. Dr. Manmohan Singh may be modest in his oratory skills, but he is an economist who understands things much better. Mr. Obama is a great orator, but he is a politician having a degree in law. As we know, economies run neither by oratory nor by myopic populist decisions. These turbulent years would decide the fate of both the US and India and I only wish the US would be in the right hands.

Attack to Defense – Congress knows Best!

It is said that attack is the best defense. Congress, virtually the family business of Nehru dynasty definitely understands it better than anyone else. Here is an interesting article which makes a very good point: how Congress is using a “communal” attack in order to hide “corruption charges” against it.
 

How Congress dodged raging scams
 

The Congress party on Tuesday attacked the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) for its ‘involvement in terrorist activities’ but studiously avoided all reference to two raging controversies – the Adarsh housing society scam and the corruption in the Commonwealth Games – at its special All India Congress Committee (AICC) meet in New Delhi.
 

https://sify.com/news/how-congress-dodged-raging-scams-imagegallery-national-klda0Cgjcid.html
 

Well, that is very much expected. You can’t rule over this country for 50 years without any propaganda!

When to say “India Shining” again?

Here is one very disappointing piece of news about our nation’s current competitiveness. More than the rank, the “trend” is what is really worrying.
 

World’s most prosperous nations: India slips 10 places to be at 88
 

India has slipped 10 places to the 88th spot in the World Prosperity Index due to poor healthcare and education systems coupled with a weak entrepreneurial infrastructure. The prosperity index is based on 89 variables and claims to comprehensively rank the level of prosperity in 110 nations of the world.
 

https://business.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/nov/03/slide-show-1-worlds-most-prosperous-nations.htm (November 3, 2010)
 

I think government should really wake up to the realities. Note the areas where India has gone down the trend: it’s about healthcare and education systems – the prime targets of our so called “govt for aam adami”. We need some genuine soul search.

Arundhati and Kashmir

Recently, the ‘famous’ Indian activist Arundhati Roy made a statement that “Kashmir has never been integral part of India”.
 

https://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Kashmir-has-never-been-integral-part-of-India-Arundhati/701793/
 

Before becoming an activist, Arundhati was an author. In fact “The God of Small Things” is the only novel written by her. Since winning the Booker Prize, she has been writing on political issues. I read Arundhati Roy’s “God of small things” after it won the Booker Prize 1997. Story was complex and treaded on many dimensions. But one part made me bewildered: the story showed a sexual relationship between a brother and a sister. At that time I wondered what kind of a perverted writer she was. Later on I read that her book “God of small things” is semi-autobiographical and a major part captures her childhood experiences in Kerala. (She was born in Meghalaya to a Keralite Syrian Christian mother and a Bengali father. She spent her childhood in Aymanam in Kerala. She married twice and she and her present husband Pradip Krishnen had no children.)
 

In any case I believe Arundhati wanted to create a public debate on Kashmir issue. Here is what I have to say:
 

1) First of all, let us remember why “freedom” or “azaadi” is so precious for Indians. If Indians won’t understand “azadi”, after being under foreign slavery for 1000 years, I don’t know who will. Innumerable sacrifices have made us achieve our precious freedom from the British and we have been tolerant enough to allow creation of Pakistan/Bangladesh on religious ground, so as to achieve long term peace. We have also tolerated confrontation with Pakistan and China even if they keep a portion of our land, in order to avoid war. In conditions like these, giving autonomy or freedom to one of our states, is out of question because it threatens the “India model”.
 

2) Arundhati has been supporting Naxals and now she is supporting Kashmiri separatists. She might have an opinion and reasons to support Maoists or Separatists, but she is definitely making India weak by supporting them in public and giving them limelight and legitimacy. In democracy, we are allowed to have radical opinions, but to work full-time in spreading anti-India violence, she should be told to restrain. I would support her right of expression greatly, if she supported a non-violent movement. But she supports Maoists who kill Indian police and military forces as a way of life; and separatists in Kashmir who killed thousands of innocent Indians – and I would be happy for a case against her to be filed. My personal opinion is that she is a publicity hound and has serious psychological deviations which make her invite public attention, and her ego even feeds on their outrage. She should be treated well.

3) Arundhati seems to have become an overnight expert to understand problems in Kashmir and is passing verdicts. I don’t know who would support her but only “elitists”? Look, Arundhati is famously wise and globally popular – if I too support her, may be some of hers would brush off on me too? I am glad rest of India is not with her.
 

4) For Kashmir, much of the protest is “sponsored” and stones thrown are “funded” by money coming from Pakistan – and hence the problem has many dimensions.
 

‘Kashmir stone-pelters funded by Pakistan’

https://ibnlive.in.com/news/kashmir-stonepelters-funded-by-pakistan/133688-3.html
 

5) Someone said why Kashmir should not get “azadi” when Pakistan got it in 1947? If we allowed Pakistan to get created, it doesn’t mean we would allow every Muslim dominated locality to become a separate nation. Today, India is not slave to Britain or anyone else, and hence can protect its soil from anti-nationals.
 

6) For those who blame Indian govt and think Kashmiri Muslims have got caught in the cross-fire, I suggest they search and read History properly. Read what is and how “Martyr’s Day” celebrated in Kashmir even now, remembering the dead Muslims who revolted against Hindu Dogra king, in 1931. Alas, the same kind of protest is going in Kashmir at present in 2010, as what was going on in 1931. Do read about it.
 

7) In my views, solution to Kashmir’s problem can be done in this way: India should first force a peace by sending all separatists to jail, take back special status of the state by removing Article 370 from our constitution and allow migration in and out of the state, and thereby inculcate the spirit of “national integration”. The special status for the state, no matter what was the historical reason behind it, has reached us to the point where our great nation which finds no parallel in history for being peace loving, is being accused like a murderous and curbing autocracy.
 

The bottom line is: I feel sad that the Kashmiri separatist Muslims have hijacked and abused the word and spirits of “Azadi” so much. India should strive for a proper solution to Kashmir in the long term and should strongly protect our sovereignty in the short term. And our governments should stop supporting antinational elements.
 

PS: I had also asked a question in Rediff QnA, which saw some very good opinion and discussion posted on the matter. You can check it out here:
 

http://qna.rediff.com/questions-and-answers/today-arundhati-roy-said-kashmir-has-never-been/18306184/answers
 

I asked: What do you think Arundhati is, and why:
 

(a) Patriotic Indian

(b) Unpatriotic Indian

(c) Childish / Mentally disturbed

(d) Publicity Hound.
 

My take is (d)