Some In India Feel Slighted By Obama

Washington Post: Country's Press Questions Why It Took A Week For U.S. President-Elect To Connect With Indian PM

(Washington Post)  This story was written by Emily Wax.

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In the days after Barack Obama's historic victory, Indians began to sound just like a long-suffering South Asian mother nagging her son abroad: Why haven't you called?

The U.S. president-elect had spoken to 15 world leaders, Indian newspapers reported, including Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, the leader of India's on-again, off-again adversary, with whom Obama was said to have chatted for 20 minutes.

So when Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh still hadn't connected over the weekend, newspapers and TV talk shows were filled with bruised feelings over what has been dubbed "the no-call incident." "Obama snubs India," read a headline on the OneIndia news portal.

"You found time to call Pakistan," chided Azhar Usman, a visiting Indian American stand-up comic performing at a New Delhi college campus Sunday. "Why not call India?" he said, wagging his finger. "We are waiting."

The issue loomed so large that Singh addressed the flap Tuesday, explaining that Obama had attempted to call him Saturday. Singh said he had been unable to take the call because he was on his way to Oman and Qatar.

Asked by an Indian reporter why Obama had chosen to "ignore India," Singh said: "That is not true. What happened was we could not establish contact because the time suggested was too short for us to interact. And I was traveling."

The prime minister's office announced plans for "a telephonic conversation" with Obama within days or hours. Early Wednesday, the long-awaited call finally took place.

"The prime minister said that relations between India and the United States were very good, but that we could not be satisfied with the status quo," said a statement released by Singh's office.

Singh congratulated Obama and said his victory would inspire "oppressed people" all over the world, sources in the prime minister's office said. He also invited Obama and his wife, Michelle, to visit India.

Obama praised the contribution that Singh had made to India's progress as a former finance minister and as the country's current leader.

The perceived slight highlights a certain ambivalence here about Obama. The Indian government has enjoyed close relations with the Bush administration, which helped it secure an unprecedented and controversial nuclear deal this year, ending its isolation on the issue.

"Often reviled as America's worst president, Bush was New Delhi's darling, courted irrespective of the popular mood," said a cover story in India's Outlook magazine last weekend.

Although many Indians celebrated Obama's win as historic, some said they were nervous about his views on outsourcing jobs to India. Obama has said he would offer financial incentives to create jobs in the United States. There is also dismay over the idea Obama has floated of sending a third-party mediator to the disputed region of Kashmir.

"India is watching closely what will happen on these issues," said Mahesh S. Panicker, a political analyst in New Delhi. "There is a mood of caution, and that's why there is chatter over the communications."

Still, many Indians said they were not worried about the no-call incident. It was Indian astrologers who first predicted victory for Obama, they said, and Obama boosted his popularity among Indians when he mentioned the Gandhi poster hanging in his office and the tiny figurine of Hanuman, the Indian monkey god, that he carries.

"We are making a mountain out of a molehill. We are a great nation and a global player. So we don't become lesser or greater because of a phone call," said Lalit Mansingh, a former ambassador to the United States. "Let's give this situation the benefit of the doubt."

[toolmangler-2009]

have you seen BrianBW

Posted by DJ_IL at 10:40 PM : Nov 13, 2008



Not since last night

[toolmangler-2009]

Probably Harijan.

[toolmangler-2009]

Sorry wait another minute..... a lot of my Indian friends are calling from NASA and other places... where they work as Scientist, CEO, Engineers, Doctors and ...... forget it you wont understand it is too ''''Educational'''' and ''''brain related'''' stuff

with love from dotheat or raghead

Posted by MaharajaG at 05:17 PM : Nov 13, 2008




At first I thought you were on the good stuff, then I realized you were just ''Day-dreaming''. Which one are you? Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra or Harijan

[jamshied]

THEY SHOULD HAVE INITIATED THE CALL TO CONGRATULATE PRES-ELECT OBAMA. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MORE MANNERED INDIAN TRADITION THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

[karela33]

I''m glad that there are voices in India and in the U.S. who look for friendly relations and expect things to work out. We can''t all just always expect the worst if we want to live in a better, more peaceful world. Obama and Ghandi have some similar views and that should be a place where we can begin our conversation toward understanding between our countries. Namaste

[deathofusa]

I would worry if my blog gets highlighted by NSA software.
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Posted by thuderstone at 04:21 PM : Nov 13, 2008


Thunderstone. Do you really really think the NSA is reading this? C r a p! There goes my future.

[deathofusa]

Cool moniker too.
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Posted by TheMasses10 at 04:46 PM : Nov 13, 2008


Yeah, it causes me a lot of grief. But I like it.

[deathofusa]

Back to 2nd grade and Habib for you.
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Posted by TheMasses10 at 04:49 PM : Nov 13, 2008


No. You can''t make me.

[deathofusa]

Yes, but you''''ll do whatever we ask, or we will take it by force.
Shrimp vs nukes.
I think I''''ll stay in America.
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Posted by TheMasses10 at 04:44 PM : Nov 13, 2008


TheMassess - typical democrap. Wanting to hit an american ally with nukes while Iran, Syria, Pakistan plot against us. I am sure you are totally against hitting Iran. Typical democrap. Morals are completely upside down.

[deathofusa]

Buying your teacher dinner is unethical.
Why don''''t you just blow him instead?
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Posted by TheMasses10 at 04:43 PM : Nov 13, 2008


Because that is the job of our interns to do on our presidents.

[deathofusa]

I got to go, but you guys need to learn something that will help you from some of those on this blog. There is not a white America, a black America, there is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. My professor is teaching an late class, and I am going to buy him dinner, education does one good, turst me!
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Posted by thuderstone at 04:38 PM : Nov 13, 2008


Amen brother. Never stand around and wait for anyone to give you anything. Do not follow in the democraps ways. Go son. Go have dinner with your professor.

[deathofusa]

We are your providers, your national treasury owes us for trillions dollars of loans, we gurantees your credit cards and car loans.
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Posted by thuderstone at 04:33 PM : Nov 13, 2008


Ouch, Ouch. Stop it.

[thuderstone]

I got to go, but you guys need to learn something that will help you from some of those on this blog. There is not a white America, a black America, there is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. My professor is teaching an late class, and I am going to buy him dinner, education does one good, turst me!

[deathofusa]

The shrimp in your grocery store probably come from our farms. We are your providers, your national treasury owes us for trillions dollars of loans, we gurantees your credit cards and car loans.
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Posted by thuderstone at 04:33 PM : Nov 13, 2008


Wow thunderstone, you can hit below the belt too. Geez, why did you have to bring up that little debt? Lol.

[thuderstone]

I am from Shanghai, we don''t believe in killing people, we talk about raise fish farms and build factories. The shrimp in your grocery store probably come from our farms. We are your providers, your national treasury owes us for trillions dollars of loans, we gurantees your credit cards and car loans.

[deathofusa]

This makes you an accompliss. You are just as guilty. No bully here.
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Posted by TheMasses10 at 04:26 PM : Nov 13, 2008


Oh brother. Didn''t your mother teach you to pick on someone your own size? Geez.

[deathofusa]

"Posted by deathofUSA "

My Gawd! Give Obama a chance - he hasn''''t even taken the oath yet...what makes you so pseudo smart?
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Posted by oleander8 at 12:31 PM : Nov 13, 2008


Hey, when the president-elect of your country vows to bankrupt american corporations (coal) and spread the wealth of others, one thing is going to happen... they will leave America by the boatload. Doesn''t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Why do you thing the stock market is plummeting? Could it be that the president-elect has vowed to increase capital gains taxes? Hmmm. Americans will pull out their money and business and the only one able and willing to employ anyone will be the Obama administration. Simple.

[thuderstone]

NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
www.NSA.GOV

[deathofusa]

I would worry if my blog gets highlighted by NSA software.
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Posted by thuderstone at 04:21 PM : Nov 13, 2008


Holy smoke. The NSA is reading this? I guess I''m in trouble. Thanks for the heads up. Don''t pay too much attention to TheMasses10, he''s just a bully.

[thuderstone]

I don''t have an girlfriend, I am getting my GMAT done. but can you refrain from such hate speech. If I were you, I would worry if my blog gets highlighted by NSA software.