Bo,Bow:

July 17/2012: Like all pet dogs, US President Barack Obama's Portuguese Water Dog Bo also barks. But when his Master starts barking at India `bow, bow,' our caravan should move on without taking any notice of a non white non black non brown non yellow man’s utterances. Sounds racist? Is that possible with someone like Obama? Ask any ‘Tea Bagger’ Libertarian for a detailed description.Obama made some uncharitable comments about India’s economy the other day in the course of an interview to an Indian news agency. He advised us Indians to remove all obstacles for FDI in several sectors including retail and kick start the next wave of economic reforms. By making snide remarks about the slow progress of liberalization in India and asking for more reforms, Obama has certainly exceeded his brief, even if his pals on the campaign trail would have given him three cheers.

First, a person sitting in the White House should never cast stones at others. Second, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial meltdown, the US of A ruined itself and the global economy and is yet to get back on its feet. Even as he is struggling to put his own house in order, here is the chief executive of that nation pontificating on what the Indian government should do on the economic front. Pardon us mere non Americans, who is speaking please? It is time to take stock of our inherent strengths and ward off evil designs of the US and their allies who want a free ticket to India to plunder our huge market. There are many clones of East India Company in disguise based in the US and Europe wanting an easy entry through the retail route. Whether we should allow them in and, in the process, help history repeat itself is something on which we need to seriously ponder.Uncle Sam seems to have many issues with us.

The Indian government is not opening up the economy the way Americans wanted it for pushing their agenda. Yes, our Government has bent over backwards to accommodate the American dream by cozying up to them and signing many deals including one on the controversial nuclear deal, but the Americans want more. And more. Back home, their economy is tottering, unemployment is very high and a President who is aspiring for a second term is leaving no stone unturned to get more jobs and income for his people.This was the same man who had screamed ‘Change’ as his slogan during his first election (2008) and sought to introduce all kinds of restrictions on American outsourcing to India in order to protect jobs back home. Now he wants Indian economy to open all doors for American investments without any reciprocity.

Will the US be ready for a quid pro quo and ease restrictions on visas and employment opportunities for those niggardly Indians wanting to go to the States to live their (the Americans’) dream? In the first place, he has no reason to complain. How our economy or government should be run is purely our internal matter. By tendering unsolicited advice on the need to open up our economy, he is only reiterating the known American position. Certainly, if the Indian Prime Minister or President were to be interviewed by an American newspaper and if they talk about how America should manage its economy, that would create ripples across the Atlantic. First, TIME magazine wrote about the “economic paralysis” and a weakling and an underachiever Indian Prime Minister. Although not far from the truth, this is clear indication of meddling in the internal matters of a ‘friendly’ country. There is a discernible pattern here.

America is known for this kind of harangue. Earlier Indian Prime Ministers (for instance Vajpayee was termed ‘half dead’) have also been the butt of TIME and other American magazine’s ridicule. What’s more, the then President George Bush, known for his foot-in-the mouth disease, had no idea who was India’s Prime Minister! Such is the disdain with which America looks down upon us. Yet our leaders and people quietly gulp the insults heaped on us, ever ready to lick soiled American boots. A former President (Kalam), George Fernandes while he was the Defence Minister and several of our celebrities have been frisked, made to strip, insulted and detained for hours at American airports and yet we continue to worship and ape the Americans and their way of life. This probably points to the fact that even though we got rid of the imperialistic yoke decades ago, we are comfortable and at our best to serve the white skin.This pitiable outlook makes us view our deserters also as assets.

Those who lost faith on the resurgence of India, who believed we could never, ever, stand on our feet, that we would require the insect infested PL 480 wheat forever to fill the Indian belly and so on were thought fit to be bestowed with PIO, NRI and such other abbreviated aberrations. This bunch has successfully run down every Indian achievement. It is these people who constantly belittle India and the repercussions are seen in the pronouncements of people like Obama. While the US Prez is fighting for a second term with his back to the wall, he thinks it fit to attack India only because the Indian government cowers before this Almighty. Our IFS bureaucrats have cunningly replaced politicians as Ambassadors to Washington DC. This prolongs the officers’ mindset even in foreign policy that encourages subservience.

Obviously therefore, Americans dared to strip an Indian woman Ambassador, Meera Shankar, at an airport in Mississippi in December 2010 while she was on an internal flight even after they learnt that she was our ‘tallest’ diplomat. They don’t ‘care’ about us and we are dying to be acknowledged by them. This desperation of India and Indians allows the Americans to kick our butts.