Random Thoughts of An Indian!

*Now that Obama's visit is done and dusted,let us switch off the cacophony of NDTV,sit down and analyse.Obama's promise of support for India's permanent membership at the UNSC is welcome alright but otherwise,he meant business.Literally.He came here to sign trade pacts worth billions with us.To keep with his image,he danced with children,answered questions from students,addressed a video-conference with farmers,talked niceties like "India is not a country that is yet to emerge.It has emerged already" and repeatedly invoked Gandhi wherever appropriate.Obama was cautiously diplomatic in terrorism and outsourcing(and those were the issues that matter to us!).Yet,his skilful oration and charisma make us feel that he is a saviour.

So let us throw away our subservient attitude to Obama and realise that he is the most important person of HIS country and nothing more.It is surprising that Obama never invoked Nehru even once considering he himself is a modern day Nehru-more talk and little of substance.

*I got a call from an education expert of an overseas education academy yesterday.An interesting conversation.

"Hello good afternoon sir!We are calling from XYZ(or ZYX-I forgot the academy's name).We would like to know where you would like to do your higher education?"

"India".He should have hung up right there but he still persisted.

"But sir!higher education opportunities are much better in USA and Australia.For instance,if you take University of.."

"But am planning to study for civil services"

"Yes sir!but the civil services opportunities in UK are.."

I hung up.Sad to know that anyone can become an education expert in India.

*Verbal attacks on Arundhati Roy have become fashionable.A Roy is facing the wrath of so-called nationalists simply because she stated plain facts.The only solution to the Kashmir issue lies in a door-to-door poll by United Nations in the state with a simple question:

What is your wish for Kashmir?

a.Independence

b.To remain a state in India

c.To accede to Pakistan

Sometimes,the simplest of solutions are not workable because the top leaders don't want the solution to be simple.The people who matter must realise that the people of Kashmir are the ones who matter.I don't want to come up with a Gandhian impulse:"Leave Kashmir to God,or even to Anarchy" but simply say "Leave Kashmir to the people".