Modi in the US

On my MBA group chat yesterday there was a lively discussion on Jayalalitha and her arrest, and Modi’s US visit. Then someone mentioned that Modi and Amma were dominating the news in India, so Preeti, how does it look in NYC?

I quickly looked at the WSJ that I subscribe to, and saw only a picture of an Indian tattooing an American. It was captioned ‘As New Leader Arrives in U.S., Indians celebrate Art of Diplomacy.’ Modi’s visit was covered on the 16th page. Then I heard Modi’s speech in the UN and today at Madison Square Garden. 

I am a happy Indian today.

 It is just as well that we are not Page 1 news in the US. Page 1 news here is about terrorism in the Middle-east, conflict in Ukraine, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, and other national news. News is about countries asking the US to intervene and set things right in their respective countries. News is about countries wanting aid because they can’t support the development efforts all by themselves. 

That’s all fine, and shows the power of the US, and its commitment to world peace and order. It is a tough crown to bear for the one country that everyone wants to migrate to!

I am proud that Modi did not come with a begging bowl to the US. He has come to contribute to the US economy - by striking deals worth $3 billion in U.S. Arms. India is a valuable  market for US companies whose growths are stagnant on their home turf and for them it is critical that Indo-US relations be amiable.  Modi came to meet those thousands of Indians who have made the US their home and are successful in their careers and businesses.Whether ABCDs or traditional , most of them are Indophiles at heart. Modi came to sell the  dream of India - with its educated youth, and an ancient culture and abundance of offerings. He made it clear that he wanted peace with his neighbors, but the hallowed halls of the UN was not where they were going to find it - Kashmir is  not up for discussion with the International community.

I am a fence sitter where Modi is concerned,  but so far away from home, Modi made me very proud. He does not mince his words. That alone speaks volumes for me. Yes India has huge problems, but we don’t need external help to resolve those. We don’t have to go with  hands stretched out for doles to other countries to support us. We don’t need anyone except for Pakistan to solve the Kashmir issue amicably, and we can deal with China all by ourselves. We have conflict in pockets but India, as a whole, is not a conflict zone - that is heartening. 

On my MBA group chat, we were discussing regional divides between North and South India, between Tamil Nadu and its neigbors, between Bengalis, Biharis and Punjabis, but everyone was unanimous...Modi is ours. Whether we like him or not, we were proud of him representing us at the UN and US. 

Sometimes we Indians forget how lucky we are. With limited resources and infrastructure, huge social, gender  and economic divides and scores of religions, we do just fine. We are fiercely proud of our cultural heritage but it is time we looked at the distance we have covered since Independence.Yes, there is much to be done, but lots has also been achieved. We need to celebrate those successes. 

Among the things I admire about the Americans, the one I like the most is their nationalistic pride. They are so proud to be called Americans - Everything flows from that pride - including civic sense, integrity at work, supporting local businesses and demanding better customer service. 

That sense of nationalism is the one thing we definitely need to import from the US and then, India will be truly India Shining.