U.S. President Barack Obama India Visit

New Delhi: Expressing ‘bahut dhanyavaad’ to the people of India for their warm reception, US President Barack Obama announced his country’s support to India for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council but added that it will come with conditions like speaking out against Myanmar and imposing sanctions on Iran.

“US welcomes India as it prepares to take its seat at the UN Security Council. I look forward to a reformed UN Security Council that includes India as a permanent member,” he declared to deafening applause, reminding that US had already lent its support to India at G20, Copenhagen Climate Summit etc.

The announcement is seen as a diplomatic gesture although it was clear that the reform of the Security Council is going to be a long and tedious process. With that in mind, Obama pointedly used the expression "in the years ahead".

However, he added, that with increased power came increased responsibility. “US recognises every nation`s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy but they also have international obligations. This applies to Iran also,” he said. On the issue of Pakistan, he urged an end of terror against India. “The safe havens to terrorists in Pakistan are unacceptable. The perpetrators of Mumbai attacks should be brought to justice,” he said.

"Please accept my deepest thanks...bahut dhanyawad," Obama said in his opening remarks.

“I bring the greetings of from the people of the world’s greatest democracy, the USA. I thank you for the honour of letting me address the Parliament of one billion Indians. Over last three days my wife Michelle and I have experienced the beauty and dynamism of the people of India,” he said, beginning his speech to repeated applause.

Taking forward his tone that India had already risen, Obama said it was not an accident that his India-stay was the longest ever in his career. "I am proud to visit India so early in my presidency," he said.

He said the world’s information age is rooted in Indian work what with the zero being invented here. He invoked Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi, Dr BR Ambedkar, Panchtantra and various Indian poets and ancient religious texts etc. to convey how special the place of India is in the world since eternity.

“Gandhiji inspired me to be the change we seek in the world. After making his pilgrimage to India Dr Martin Luther King noted that Gandhi’s philosophy was the only way to make progress in this era,” he said, declaring he might not be standing there as President of the United States had it not been for Gandhi and his message

He acknowledged how after independence at midnight India had launched various schemes like Green Revolution etc to uplift its people from poverty.

“The very idea and strength of India is embrace of all colors, all castes, all creeds….Swami Vivekananda said in Chicago that holiness is not the preserve of any particular religion or church,” he said, lauding the democracy of India where “every voice is heard.”

He acknowledged that relations between India and the US had transformed since the era of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and went on to elucidate on what could be “next” on agenda.

“The interests of US and India are best advanced in a partnership, I believe. The relationship between our countries is unique. Our constitutions begin with the same words: ‘We, the people’. Both our countries are dedicated to the concepts of liberty, justice and equality,” he said.

Obama called for renewed partnership with India in a host of areas ranging from clean energy to farming and crop forecasting to food processing, and said both nations should work together to curb protectionism.

"As global partners, we can promote prosperity in both our countries... Together, we can create the high-tech, high-wage jobs of the future.


Source : zeenews