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www.t

hesouthasiantimes.info

This 60-page Special Issue celebrates Indias Republic Day and President Obamas visit to India.

Vol. 7 | No. 39 | Jan 31-Feb 6, 2015 | 60 Cents

The South Asian Timese x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m

OBAMA SAYS

NAMASTEINDIAPresident Obama 2ndvisit to India, becoming the first POTUS to grace RepublicDay as Chief Guest, was also historic in terms of him and Prime Minister Modiachieving a breakthrough in nuclear deal impasse and steering worlds twolargest democracies towards an elevated level of friendship and cooperation.

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Jan 31-Feb 6, 2015TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL

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5Jan 31-Feb 6, 2015 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

New Delhi: If the annual Republic Day pa-

rade is known for its pomp and splendor, the

66th edition will remain etched in the memo-

ry for two other factors - the women's power

showcased during the two-hour event and the

presence of US President Barack Obama as

the chief guest on the occasion.

Quite appropriately, the honor of leading

the marching contingents was given to the

one drawn from the three services, while the

Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian

Air Force also fielded all-women's contin-

gents.

A woman led the Indian Navy contingent

while a tableau depicted the success achieved

by an all-women's team in scaling the world's

highest mountain, Mount Everest.

All this, coupled with a woman leading the

contingent that presented a guard of honor to

US President Barack Obama Sunday is re-

portedly Modi's way of showcasing women's

power in India - despite the many stories of

atrocities on women and the odds stacked

against them socially.

The day began cloudy and rainy and there

were apprehensions that the flypast, one of

the most-eagerly awaited events at the pa-

rade, would be curtailed but, in the end, theweather cleared sufficiently for this to take

place though the sky remained overcast.

Most of the paramilitary and police contin-

gents were in regulation khaki but they too

got a look-in, thanks to their ceremonial cum-

merbunds, sashes and turbans.

Notably, the mechanized columns were

down to a minimum this time around - per-

haps to paper over the fact that 70 percent of

the hardware with the armed forces is im-

ported, a situation that Modi's 'Make in India'

initiative hopes to reverse.

The music, as usual, made for considerable

patriotic fervor, what with rousing tunes like

Sare Jahan Se Aacha, Hanste Lushai, Kadam

Kadam Badahe Ja and Sound Barrier, many

of which had Obama keeping time - which he

also did when the tableaux came on with their

wealth of folk music.

This also made for a seamless blend of mil-

itary might and heritage as 25 tableaux - 16

from the states and nine from various min-

istries - graphically displayed India's rich cul-

tural diversity.

Andhra Pradesh chose to do this through a

harvest festival; Madhya Pradesh highlighted

the Bhagoria festival of love and matchmak-

ing; Uttarakhand through the pilgrimage to

Kedarnath; Sikkim through cardamom farm-

ing, Assam by re-creating Majuli, the world's

largest river island; Telangana by re-creating

the Golconda fort and Haryana with likeness

of the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary - quite natu-

rally, with twittering birds.

The 'Make in India' tableau by the depart-

ment of industrial policy and promotion de-

picted a mechanised lion against the back-

drop of a smart city. The campaign aims to

promote manufacturing in India. Another pet

project of the prime minister, the 'Beti

Bachao Beti Padhao' program, a campaign

against female foeticide which he launched

from Panipat in Haryana Jan 22, was also fea-

tured in a tableau.

President Pranab Mukherjee, US President Barack Obama, First Lady MichelleObama, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the

saluting dais on the occasion of the 66th Republic Day Parade.

New Delhi: President Pranab

Mukherjee said political discourse

that "cuts and wounds" peoples

hearts was abhorrent" to Indias

traditional ethos.

In his customary address to the

nation on the eve of Republic Day,

Mukherjee said: The freedom in-

herent in democracy sometimes

generates an unhappy by-product

when political discourse becomes

a competition in hysteria that is

abhorrent to our traditional ethos.

The violence of the tongue cuts

and wounds peoples hearts, he

added. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi,

he said: Religion is a force for

unity; we cannot make it a cause

of conflict."

Mukherjee once again objected

to government enacting laws

without discussion, saying that it

impacts the law-making role of

the parliament and breaches the

trust reposed in it by the people.

This is neither good for the

democracy nor for the policies re-

lating to those laws."

Recently the president had

raised strong objections to a string

of ordinances - executive orders -

passed by the union cabinet, in-

cluding the one on the land acqui-

sition act. While acknowledging

that the constitution provided for

promulgation of ordinance in ex-

traordinary situation, Mukherjee

had said this route cannot and

should not be taken for normal

legislation.

In his address, the president also

stressed on the importance of the

parliamentary process in making

laws saying there can be no gov-

ernance without a functioning leg-

islature.

The president also said that the

results of last year's general elec-

tions have been remarkable as

people have voted a single party to

power after three decades.

Don't make religion a cause for conflict: President

President Pranab Mukherjee addressing the nation onthe eve of Republic Day.

The women's power was showcased at India's66th Republic Day in the presence of US

President Barack Obama as the chief guest

New Delhi: The friendly warmth and cama-raderie between Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi and US President BarackObama was on full display as the two chat-ted and laughed like old friends over a two-hour period while watching Indias Re-

public Day parade and pageantry.A day after the two leaders - one the prime

minister of the worlds largest democracyand the other the president of the worldsoldest democracy - got down to referring toeach other in first person terms - Barackand Modi respectively - their easy friend-

ship was visible for the world to see.Amid a steady drizzle that at times almostthreatened to spoil the celebration of Indiasmilitary might, cultural diversity and tech-nological prowess, Modi was seen carryingon a steady conversation with Obama, ex-

plaining to him the different facets of the Re-public Day parade as it marched down Raj-path.

The two leaders chatted, mostly withoutthe help of an interpreter, who was seatedwithin the bullet proof enclosure. Within theenclosure was also President PranabMukherjee, US president's wife MichelleObama, Vice President Hamid Ansari andhis wife Salma.

Modi, whose sartorial vibrancy was also

remarked on by Obama, was attired in a darkbandhgala and topped with a colorful tricol-or Rajasthani turban. Modi is known to payspecial attention to his attire and has become

known for changing his dress for differentoccasions.

While Obama was wearing a formal darkgrey suit, with a lavender colored tie, Moditopped his attire by donning a pair of stylishshades.

Michelle was seen chatting with SalmaAnsari, but mostly kept quiet and watchedthe proceedings.

Towards the end of the march past, whenthe mounted floats from different states andthe folk dancers came in a steady stream toshowcase their cultural splendor, the atten-

tion of the US president appeared to flag.But his companion, in Modi, kept up alively chatter - explaining each bit with anexpressive show of his hands.

Obama did get to see some of the US-made acquisitions of India - the Indian AirForces C-130J Super Hercules and C-17Globemaster III - that flew down at low lev-el formation over the Rajpath.

The daredevil motorbike stunts by men ofthe Border Security Force had the US presi-dent and his wife visibly interested and bothclapped with enthusiasm.

Obama did come in his own car, TheBeast, to the Rajpath, in a break from proto-col and not in President Mukherjee's blacklimo.

'Modi', 'Barack' chatted like old friends

Modi with Obama and theFirst Lady on the Raj Path.

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By Ashok Ojha/SATimes

New York: A few hundred commu-

nity leaders, public officials and pro-

fessionals from the tristate area and

New Hampshire gathered at the Indi-

an Consulate here to celebrate Indias

66th Republic Day on Jan 30.

Welcoming the guests, Consul

General Dnyaneshwar Mulay said

the Indo-US ties reached a new level

after President Obamas visit. He

presented his vision to engage people

of different walks of life in the great

Indian journey towards economic

prosperity and intellectual growth

through events aimed at promotingIndian art, culture and science before

the world. Some prominent citizens

were honored for their accomplish-

ments including Padma Shri Dr. Dat-

tathreyudu Nori, New Hampshire

Assemblywoman Latha Mangipudi,

NJ Assemblyman Raj Mukherjee,

Nisha Agarwal - Commissioner,

NYC Mayor's Office of Immigrant

Affairs, and City Council Member

Paul Vallone.

Talking to The South Asian Times,

Vallone offered his services to help

Indian owned businesses in NYC and

resolve administrative issues with the

city administration.

Raj Mukherjee complimented

Baba Saheb Ambedkar for authoring

a workable Constitution for India

that propelled the nations progresstowards growth and prosperity. Not-

ed attorney Ravi Batra said that he

was proud to be an Indian-American.

Our community was the best on

both sides of the hyphen. Ashok Ku-

mar Garg, CEO of Bank of Barodas

US Operations, commented, We are

upbeat about Indias economic land-

scape as the government was deter-

mined to streamline the banking sys-

tem with single window clearance,

which provides new opportunities for

investors, both foreign and domes-

tic.

The Consul General presented a

check of $10,000 to Christina

Marouda, Director, MOMI for a joint

action plan for projecting movies fo-

cused on strengthening Indo-US ties.

Deputy Consul General Dr. ManojKumar Mohapatra read out excerpts

from the President of India's R-Day

Address to the Nation.

Community throngs NY

Consulate for R-Day

Amb. Mulay (middle) is joined by community leaders to cut acake celebrating Indias 66th Republic Day.

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Tunes by Indian musicians, foot-tapping drumbeats and calming chimesreverberated the air as the imposing Rashtrapati Bhavan lit up atsunset marking the end of the 66th Republic Day celebrations with'Beating Retreat' ceremony at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on Jan 29.

(Right) President Obama is visibly having a good time at the At-Homehosted by President Pranab Mukherjee on Jan 26.

Ed i tor s P i cks

This is one of the pictures on the White House website fromthe Republic Day parade that President Obama sat through.

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New Delhi: With the rain playing spoilsport,

the dignitaries gathered at Rajpath to witness

India's 66th Republic Day parade were

forced to wear caps and take cover under

umbrellas and raincoats.

US President Barack Obama, the chief

guest at the parade, and wife Michelle were

seated in a roofless bullet-proof glass enclo-

sure along with President Pranab Mukher-

jee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and his

wife Salma and Prime Minister Narendra

Modi.

As it started to drizzle, officials with huge,

black umbrellas and members of the support

staff standing next to them sprang into ac-

tion.

While the Obamas held their own umbrel-las, the Indian dignitaries and leaders at-

tending the ceremony had their better halves

or their official staff holding the cover for

them.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi also held

her own umbrella. Two seats away,

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit

Shah was seen taking shelter under an um-

brella held by his wife.

Kiran Bedi, the BJP's chief ministerial

candidate for next month's Delhi assembly

polls, wore a raincoat.

Many dignitaries also donned caps to pro-

tect themselves from the cold and drizzle.

Mukherjee and Ansari sported fur caps, Fi-

nance Minister Arun Jaitley and senior BJP

leader L.K. Advani wore golf caps whileModi wore a traditional and colorful Ra-

jasthani headgear.

Had Modi peeked into the enclosures

erected in front of him at Rajpath when the

66th Republic Day parade concluded, he

might have been forced to rethink the

prospects of his pet Swachh Bharat Abhiyan,

or Clean India campaign.

Soiled sheets of newspapers, pamphlets

(carrying details of the parade details) and

polythene bags that had been used by the

crowds to clean their seats and cover their

heads during the morning drizzle were lit-

tered all around the VIP enclosures as the

function ended.

Many of the chairs lay toppled while the

seats of almost all of them had shoe marks

and sludge on them as the crowd had stood

atop them minutes before to catch a glimpse

of the departing dignitaries.

The camaraderie between Obama and

Modi seems to have rubbed off on Delhiites

as well. When Obama reached Rajpath to at-tend the 66th Republic Day parade, the

crowd climbed atop their chairs to catch a

glimpse him and his ride - The Beast.

The crowds cheered, clapped and waved at

Obama and his wife Michelle. The Obamas

too waved back, much to the delight of the

crowds.

A group of young men even had a huge

yellow-colored poster with the message -

We Love Obama, with a red heart signifying

love. In fact, the highly publicised Modi-

Obama 'chair pe charcha' on the verdant

lawns of the Hyderabad House Sunday was

a hot topic of discussion among the audience

as they waited for the parade to begin. Most

of them had gathered since early morning,

braving the rain and the January chill.

The friendly warmth and camaraderie be-

tween the two leaders again evident during

the two-hour parade.

It was a wet, gloomy start to the 66th Re-

public Day celebrations here as sporadic

overnight rain that continued in the morningthreatened the festivities as well as damp-

ened the spirits of the people.

The crowds gathered for the function were

a worried lot as the security personnel did

not allow umbrellas inside the venue due to

safety concerns and the light drizzle could

very well have turned into a heavy shower.

But much to their relief, half an hour into

the parade, the rain stopped and the dark

clouds that had been hovering overhead dis-

persed and later enabled them to witness the

flypast by the Indian Air Force.

It may have been a cold, foggy and wet

Republic Day morning but the people who

packed the stands, some of whom had

walked for several kilometers to reach Raj-

path, were in a patriotic mood.

Despite the long queues at the entrances,

the crowds raised slogans like "Vande

Mataram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" at regu-

lar intervals. Some of them had small paper

tri-colours pinned to their shirts and tops

while others had tri-coloured scarveswrapped on their heads and around their

necks.

Adding to the feel, were soul-stirring

songs like "Yeh desh hain veer jawano ka"

and "Mere desh ki dharti" that blared out of

the address system.

However, the show stealers at the end of

the celebrations were the saffron, white and

green balloons that were released into the

sky from different corners of Rajpath.

Of umbrellas, caps

and patriotic songs

People chanted We Love Obama during the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi as rain played spoilsport.

New Delhi: In a first, a woman officerfrom the Indian Air Force, Wing Com-

mander Puja Thakur, led the ceremonial

guard of honor presented to visiting US

President Barack Obama at Rashtrapati

Bhavan here.

Thakur was seen - and heard - giving

commands, which were followed by the

national anthems of the US and India. The

21-gun salute boomed next.

Thakur then escorted Obama for the in-

spection of the tri-service guard of honor.

Thakur hails from Rajasthan and has

served in the IAF for 13 and a half years

and is an administrative officer posted at

its publicity cell, DISHA, at the Delhi Air

Headquarters in New Delhi.

She is also a para jumper.

Thakur told reporters after the ceremony

that she felt proud.

"It is a proud moment. I hope it inspires

more women to join the forces," Thakur

said. She said there was no discriminationbetween women and men in the air force.

"There is no difference between men and

women in the forces," she said.

The officer told NDTV that she came to

know about her role in leading the guard of

honor only a few days ago.

"Since the past few days, we've been

practicing for it. However, we start with

our drill movements and ceremonials right

from the first day of our training... And we

are always prepared," Thakur said.

She also said that her family is proud of

her. Her father is a retired Colonel from the

Indian Army.

Her leading the ceremonial guard of hon-

or comes as 'nari shakti' (woman power)

was the theme for Republic Day parade

this year where Obama was the chief

guest. Another woman officer, Flight Lieu-

tenant Smita Singh, was the supernumer-

ary officer.

Woman leads guard of honor for the first time

Wing Commander Puja Thakur walked Barack Obama for theinspection of the tri-service guard of honor.

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Dazzling in the rainAs in the past, the marching contingents stole the show with their dazzling array of ceremonial uniforms, leaving

the audience in the jam-packed stands - despite the cold and rains - spoilt for choice. Some glimpses...

Air Force women officers marching contingents passes through the Raj Pathduring the 66th Republic Day Parade.

President Obama and Prime Minister Modi watch the flypast which cli-maxed the R Day parade.

The BSF camel contingent passes through the Raj Path duringthe 66th Republic Day Parade.

The tableau of Andhra Pradesh passes through the Raj Path.

Pinaka 214 MM Multiple Barrel Rocket Launcher System passesthrough the Raj Path.

Raj Path came alive with the daredevil stunts of motorbike riders of the BorderSecurity Force (BSF).

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Pomp, pageantry mark

R-Day across IndiaNew Delhi: Republic Day was celebratedacross India with gaiety and patriotic fervor, asleaders stressed the need of rooting out cor-

ruption and working for development while

asking insurgents to shun violence.

The day was largely peaceful, barring twin

blasts near Assam's Digboi town triggered by

the United Liberation Front of Asom.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi reiterated the

government's tough stand on militancy, and

urged insurgents to shun violence, while Gov-

ernor P.B. Acharya expressed concern over the

killing of rhinos and said preservation of the

state's symbol was a collective responsibility.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra

hoped an elected government would soon take

over the reins in the state, and also expressed

concern that the past year saw repeated viola-

tions of the ceasefire by Pakistan and attempts

at infiltration.

In Mumbai, Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao

unfurled the tricolour at Shivaji Park, and

spoke about the Devendra Fadnavis govern-

ment's various initiatives.

In Bengaluru, Karnataka Governor Vajubhai

Vala unfurled the tricolour, as an air force hel-

icopter showered rose petals at the Field Mar-

shal Manekshaw parade ground, where Chief

Minister Siddarmaiah was also present. The

armed forces, police, National Cadets Corps

and hundreds of school children took part in

the parade.

In Aizawl, Mizoram Governor Aziz Qureshi

said the state was fully committed to root outcorruption in all its forms.

In Panaji, Goa Governor Mridula Sinha

blamed tourists for the cultural intrusion in the

tourism-friendly state.

"Tourists who come here bring with them

some kind of culture. We welcome all good

things which they bring. But some things

which they bring distract our youth. For Goa,

tourism is an important industry. People who

come to Goa think it is a place only for enjoy-

ment. I can say there are some social diseases

which need control. We should know what to

accept and what not to accept from them

(tourists)," she said in her address. In Tura,

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said

the government has adopted new developmen-

tal initiatives to bring in rapid socio-economictransformative changes, and lauded the securi-

ty forces for their achievements in the fight

against militants.

In Jaipur, Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh

said everyone should work for the state's de-

velopment, and that the state was working on a

strategy to provide employment to 15 lakh

youth.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said the

Left Front government will not allow any at-

tempt to divide the northeastern state.

"A section of people are trying to split the

state and disturb peace. The government will

resist the move," he said after unfurling the tri-

colour in Agartala. He said that despite the best

efforts of security forces, terrorism was yet to

be curbed, as militants still have camps in

neighbouring Bangladesh.

In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Governor P.

Sathasivam asked people to improve the qual-

ity of education and be concerned about the en-

vironment. Kerala has made big strides in ed-

ucation but it still remains a case of "a little

done and vast undone", he added.

West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tri-

pathi unfurled the tricolour in Kolkata. Chief

Minister Mamata Banerjee watched the pro-

ceedings, and later posted on Twitter: "On this

Republic Day let us again rededicate ourselves

to being a sovereign, socialist, secular, demo-

cratic republic." Republic Day was also cele-

brated across Bihar with joy and enthusiasm,

while Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi ap-

pealed to people to maintain communal har-

mony and peace. Maoists had put up black

flags in Gaya, Aurangabad, Jamui and Bankadistricts to protest against Republic Day.

In Andhra Pradesh, Governor E.S.L.

Narasimhan exuded confidence that the state

would recover the lost ground and move on a

trajectory of growth and development. He also

paid tributes to Pingali Venkaiah, who de-

signed the national flag and hailed from this re-

gion. Republic Day was celebrated across

Odisha with gaiety and enthusiasm despite in-

telligence inputs about a possible terror strike

and amidst a Maoist boycott call. Hoisting the

tricolour in Cuttack, Chief Minister Naveen

Patnaik reaffirmed his commitment to building

a prosperous state.

Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah unfurled

the national flag in Chennai. Chief Minister O.

Panneerselvam, his ministers and a large num-ber of people enjoyed the various floats and

dances by colorfully-attired school students.

Artistes perform during the R-Day celebrations at Khanaparaveterinary Field in Guwahati.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrives at Republic Daycelebrations on Red Road in Kolkata.

Students participate in R-Day celebrations at Shivaji Park in Mumbai.

Students participate in R-Day parade organised at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar.Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal inspects guard of honor in Mohali.

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New Delhi: Major Mukund Varadarajan and

Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh were posthumously

awarded the nation's highest peacetime gal-

lantry award, the Ashoka Chakra, at the Re-

public Day parade.

Both of them lost their lives while fighting

heavily-armed terrorists in separate gun-battles

in Jammu and Kashmir last year.

Varadarajan, while leading an anti-terrorist

operation in a village in Shopian district April

25, 2014, displayed exemplary leadership skills

and courage - despite being wounded himself -

which culminated in the elimination of three

top-ranked Hizbul Mujaheddin terrorists. He

later succumbed to his injuries.

Singh, while on a search operation in the

state's Kupwara district Aug 24, 2014, came

under heavy fire from terrorists and got killed.

A total of 374 gallantry and other defence

decorations to armed forces personnel were an-

nounced on the occasion of 66th Republic Day.

These include an Ashoka Chakra (to Singh as

Varadarajan's award had been announced on

Independence Day 2014), three Kirti Chakras,

12 Shaurya Chakras, 48 Sena Medals (Gal-

lantry), two Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry), 11

Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), 28 Param

Vishisht Seva Medals, three Uttam Yudh Seva

Medal, three Bars to Ati Vishisht Seva Medals,

53 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 13 Yudh Seva

Medals, 42 Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty),

eight Nao Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty), 19

Vayu Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty), four

Bars to Vishisht Seva Medal and 124 Vishisht

Seva Medal, a defence statement said.

Two fallen brave-hearts getAshoka Chakra on Republic Day

Major Mukund Varadarajan (left) andNaik Neeraj Kumar Singh lost theirlives fighting terrorists in Jammu &

Kashmir last year

May & Sept 2015

Wife of Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh of the 57th Battalion ofthe Rashtriya Rifles (Rajputana Rifles)/13 Rajputana Rifles

receives the Ashok Chakra conferred posthumously.(Photo: PIB).

President Pranab Mukherjee giving away the highestgallantry award Ashok Chakra to Major Mukund

Varadarajan of the 44th Battalion of Rashtriya Rifles/TheRajput Regiment (Posthumous); the award received

by his wife. (Photo: PIB)

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New Delhi: BJP's veteran politician LK

Advani, who is a film buff, had the rare

honor of receiving this year's Padma Vib-

hushan awards along with Hindi cinema's

two great artistes Dilip Kumar and Amitabh

Bachchan.

Senior BJP leader LK Advani, Punjab

chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, actors

Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan, in-

dustrialist and philanthropist Karim Al

Hussaini Aga Khan and Chitrakoots Tusli

Peeth seer Jagadguru Ramanandacharya

were among the nine recipients of Padma

Vibhushan, the second highest civilian ho-

nour in the country after Bharat Ratna, this

year.

Noted nuclear scientist MR Srinivasan, D

Veerendra Heggade of the famous Dhar-

masthala Jain temple in Karnataka and

lawyer KK Venugopal were rest of the three

to get Padma Vibhushan.

The list of 20 Padma Bhushan awardees

include former chief election commission-

er N Gopalaswami, Microsoft chief Bill

Gates and his wife Melinda, former Lok

Sabha secretary general Subhash C

Kashyap, journalists Swapan Dasgupta and

Rajat Sharma, senior lawyer Harish Salve,

cardiologist Ashok Seth, Indian-American

mathematician Manjul Bhargava and David

Frawley who is also known as Vamdeva

Shastri.

Ram Bahadur Rai is another journalist

who was conferred with Padma Shri.

Besides Jagadguru Ramanandacharya, re-

ligious figures like Swami Satyami-

tranand Giri (Padma Bhushan), Shivaku-

mara Swami of Karnataka (Padma

Bhushan) and Jagat Guru Amrta Suryanan-

da Maha Raja of Portugal (Padma Shri) are

also on the honour list.

Late Dawoodi Bohra leader Syedna Mo-

hammad Burhanuddin was chosen for Pad-

ma Shri.

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, econ-

omist Bibek Debroy, lyricist Prasoon Joshi,

who helped BJPs Lok Sabha campaign,

sports personality Saba Anjum, one of the

founders of Infosys TV Mohandas Pai, bad-

minton player PV Sindhu, woman cricketer

Mithali Raj, Gujarati writer Tarak Mehta

were also conferred Padma Shri. Wrestler-

turned-coach Satpal was named for Padma

Bhushan award, while national hockey

team captain Sardar Singh was among the

five sportspersons chosen for Padma Shri.

Padma Vibhushan for ParkashSingh Badal, LK Advani, Amitabh

Bachchan and Dilip Kumar

Padma Vibhushan honorees: Parkash Singh Badal, L K Advani, AmitabhBachchan and Dilip Kumar

New Delhi: Seventeen people from

other countries, including a few of

Indian origin, are among 104 people

chosen for the Padma awards.

Karim Al Hussiani Aga Khan of

France has been conferred with the

Padma Vibhushan, India's second

highest civilian award.

Manjul Bhargava, David Frawley,

Bill Gates and Melinda Gates - all

from the US - and Saichiro Misumi

from Japan were conferred the Pad-

ma Bhushan. Jean-Claude Carriere

and Jacques Blamont (France),

Huang Baosheng (China), Nandra-

jan 'Raj' Chetty, George L. Hart,

Tripti Mukherjee, DattatreyuduNori, Raghu Rama Pillarisetti (all

from the US), Jagat Guru Amrta

Suryananda Maha Raja (Portugal),

Saumitra Rawat (Britain) and An-

nette Schmiedchen (Germany) were

named for the Padma Shri. Mi-

crosoft founder and one of the

world's foremost philanthropists Bill

Gates, along with his wife Melinda

were conferred Padma Bhushan, fortheir social work.

Manjul Bhargava, the Indian-ori-

gin academician who has won the

Fields Trophy - known as the 'Nobel

Prize of Mathematics' was con-

ferred the Padma Bhushan for his

contribution in the fields of science

and engineering. The NRI/PIO in

the Padma Shri category are Indian-

American economist Nandrajan"Raj" Chetty, Indian classical vocal-

ist Tripti Mukherjee, besides Dr Dat-

tatreyudu Nori, Dr Raghu Rama Pil-

larisetti and Dr Saumitra Rawat in

the field of medicine. An American

Hindu Vedic teacher, an Ayurvedic

doctor and a Vedic astrologer, David

Frawley, also known as Pandit Va-

madeva, is a prolific scholar of Hin-

duism and also associated with

many yogic organizations around

the world. He is a spiritual leader

and also a noted Vedic researcher

and has been instrumental in popu-

larizing yoga and Hinduism in the

west. A Ph.D. from Harvard in San-

skrit and Indian Studies George L.

Hart has taught almost all areas of

Tamil literature at the University Of

Berkeley as well as courses on Indi-

an Civilization, Indian literature,

and Indian religion. He was con-

ferred Padma Shri.

He has written extensively on pre-

modern Tamil, its relationship toclassical Sanskrit, and South Indian

religion and culture. He has translat-

ed many great Tamil works and his

work has also been nominated for

The American Book Award.

The awards, declared on the eve of

Republic Day, are the first Padma

honors announced by the Narendra

Modi government, which assumed

office last May. Last month, it con-

ferred the nation's highest civilian

honor, the Bharat Ratna, on former

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpay-

ee and educationist Madan Mohan

Malaviya. The Padma awards are

given in various disciplines and

fields of activity such as art, social

work, public affairs, science and en-

gineering, trade and industry, medi-

cine, literature and education, sports

and civil service. Padma Vibhushan

is awarded for exceptional and dis-

tinguished service; Padma Bhushan

for distinguished service of high or-

der and Padma Shri for distin-guished service in any field. Presi-

dent Pranab Mukherjee conferred

Padma awards to 104 people Pad-

ma Vibhushan for nine, Padma

Bhushan for 20, and Padma Shri for

75. Seventeen of the awardees are

women. Four have been named for

Padma awards posthumously.

17 foreigners, NRIs among 104 Padma awardeesFrom US, Manjul Bhargava, David Frawley, Bill & Melinda Gates among the honorees

Mathematician ManjulBhargava

Vedic expert David Frawley

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Ranjana Narayan and Arun Kumar

New Delhi/Washington: India and the US

saw the forging of a closer partnership,

helped in great measure by the personal and

visible bonding between Prime Minister

Narendra Modi and President Barack Oba-

ma, as the two sides elevated their ties with

a new 'Declaration of Friendship' and also

managed to pull off a "breakthrough" agree-

ment on their stalled civil nuclear deal.

As Obama accompanied by wife Michelle

wound up three days of packed diplomatic

and public engagements, his state visit

where he was the chief guest at India's Re-

public Day parade has been termed as

paving the way for a "new era" in India-US

relations.

US Deputy National Security Advisor Ben

Rhodes said the signal being sent from Oba-

ma and Modi to their own respective gov-

ernments "is going to catalyze a lot of activ-

ity". "It also sends a message to the world, I

think, that the US and India are going to be

closer partners going forward," he said.

"And that's entirely consistent with the pres-

ident's focus on the Asia-Pacific region and

building closer relations with emerging

powers, particularly the world's largest

democracy here in India."

Modi and Obama, who held over three-

hour long talks, within hours of Obama

touching down in New Delhi, announced the

much-anticipated breakthrough agreementon implementation of their landmark civil

nuclear deal, six years after it was signed.

That the two leaders had played a major

part in getting the nuclear contact group to

tide over their disagreements was indicated

by Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh,

who said the "political leadership played a

key role" in pushing forward the agreement

for setting up US-built civil nuclear reactors

in India.

The US also signaled its support for an

"early decision on India's entry" into the four

multilateral export control regimes -- the

Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Missile Tech-

nology Control Regime (MTCR), the Aus-

tralia Group, and the Wassenaar Arrange-

ment -- that would facilitate global business

with India in the field of civil nuclear ener-

gy on which India, which has been largely

dependent on energy-inefficient and climat-

ically harmful fossil fuels, is hoping to pin

its energy security in the coming years.

Noted strategic expert C. Uday Bhaskar

termed the Obama visit "very successful".

I would characterize this as a very suc-

cessful visit, and also a reflection of PM

Modis ability to bring about a definitive

change in the bilateral relationship in a very

short time from September 2014 to now. On

the nuclear issue, the way the roadblocks

have been removed, it came about after

Modi came into the chair and brought in the

problem-solving mechanism into the rela-

tionship.

The fact that he was able to infuse the po-

litical direction and energy has made all the

difference," Bhaskar said.

India and the US have also agreed to work

closely in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing

together India's 'Act East Policy' and the

US's re-balance to Asia."The US welcomes a greater role for India

in the Asia-Pacific," Obama said at a town

hall-like address before winding up his India

visit Tuesday.

Bhaskar, director of think tank Society for

Policy Studies (SPS), said the Indo-US joint

statement on working together in the Asia-

Pacific and Indian Ocean "gives a better un-

derstanding of the political contours of the

relationship".

Obama and Modi had "turned a corner for

the United States and India" by resolving

"issues in a long-stalled nuclear deal that for

years kept US nuclear power companies

from doing business in India", noted Alyssa

Ayres, senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and

South Asia at the Council on Foreign Rela-tions.

The two sides renewed the 10-year De-

fence Framework Agreement for enhanced

defence engagement, and also inked the De-

fence Trade and Technology Initiative

(DTTI), under which the two sides have

agreed on co-production on four projects.

These include the Raven unmanned aerial

vehicle (UAV), and the "roll-on, roll-off" in-

telligence, surveillance and reconnaissance

module for the Lockheed Martin-manufac-

tured C-130 J transport aircraft.

The two leaders also gave a big push to the

economic partnership, by meeting CEOs

from both sides during two back-to-back

meetings Monday.

Obama announced $4 billion worth of newinitiatives aimed at boosting trade and in-

vestment ties as well as jobs in India. The

$4-billion deals include $2-billion financing

for renewable energy investments in India

through the US Trade and Development

Agency and $1 billion in loans for small and

medium businesses across India.

'Natural partner' to 'best partner'

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcome USPresident Barack Obama at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

By Arun Kumar

Washington: Taking a generally

positive view of US President

Barack Obama's India visit, the US

media has suggested that his per-

sonal chemistry with Prime Minis-

ter Narendra Modi had opened a

new chapter in India-US relations.

"After years of near misses and

unfulfilled promises," Obama and

Modi "appear to have set relations

between their democracies on a

deeper, perhaps even revolutionary,

path," the influential New York

Times commented.

"Part of the improvement in bi-

lateral relations has to do with thepersonal chemistry between the

two, which by all accounts appears

warm and genuine," it said in an

editorial titled "A New Chapter for

America and India." Apart from

"plenty of colorful symbolism" the

Times said "There are strategic im-

peratives at work as well." "Both

leaders need to expand theireconomies, and both see the other

as a crucial partner in offsetting

China's increasingly assertive role

in Asia," it said suggesting "The

potential for cooperation is consid-

erable." With their talk of an "en-

during commitment," Obama and

Modi "have raised expectations

and set a firm basis for moving for-

ward," the Times said.

But "Building a true partnership

will take sustained efforts over

many decades."

The Wall Street Journal in a re-

view titled "A US-India Nuclear

Test" suggested "Obama's visit

leaves Modi with a chance to showhis reform chops."

"Given the once-frosty relations

between the US and India, it is

worth celebrating the bonhomie

displayed by Messrs. Modi andObama this week, along with the

growing cooperation between US

and Indian defense planners," it

said. "Yet protectionist policies and

political dysfunction in New Delhi

continue to limit India's growth as

an economic and diplomatic pow-

er," the Journal said.

"The latest US-Indian civil-nu-

clear pact is a test of Mr. Modi's

ability to overcome political resist-

ance to pro-market reforms," it

said.

CNN also wondered "Is Obama-

Modi 'bromance' a turning point in

US, Indian relations?"

"The biggest takeaway fromObama's three days in India was

the symbolism of the leaders of the

world's two biggest democracies

cozying up," it said.

In India visit, US media seesgeopolitical implications

The landmark civil nuclear deal, US support for an early decision on India's entry into the fourmultilateral export control regimes, $4 billion worth of new initiatives and promise to work closely in

the Asia-Pacific region, the Barack Obama visit has elevated India-US ties to a completely new level.

Modi and Obama hug each other during the Joint PressInteraction held at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

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New Delhi: India-US business links were

set for a quantum jump with Prime Minister

Narendra Modi's assurance of "consistent

policies" and "welcoming environment"

leading to US President Barack Obama an-

nouncing steps to lead to $4 billion trade

with and investment in India.

"Over the next two years, our Export Im-

port Bank (EXIM) will support $1 billion

Made In America goods exports to India.

Our Overseas Private Investment Corpora-

tion will support lending small and medium

businesses across India in more than $1 bil-

lion in loans. And our US Trade and Devel-

opment Agency will invest nearly $2 billion

in renewable energy in India," Obama said

in his address at the US-India Business Sum-mit here.

Listing out more steps, he said the US was

ready to help in broadband connectivity and

build better roads.

"We need to make sure that economic

growth in both India and US is inclusive. Di-

aspora investment initiative will aid India,"

he said.

"US exports to India is nearly 35 percent.

Indian investments in our country is growing

as well. Those Indian investments are sup-

porting jobs across America. Our growing

trade relations are also a win for India. Both

Indian and US workers are benefiting from

the ties," Obama added.

Saying that there is a lot of "untapped trade

potential", he added: "PM Modi agrees thatthere is a lot of scope to improve the trade

relations. We have to focus on making doing

business easier in both our countries."

In his address earlier, Modi said the state

should be driven by policies which should

be consistent so as to draw more invest-

ments, while revealing US investments in

India jumped by 50 percent in the first six

months of his government.

"State should be policy-driven. That will

help investment. Consistency is another very

important aspect that will bring more invest-

ments in the country. These things will ad-

dress many problems," he said.

He assures US business that they "will find

environment that is not only open, but also

welcoming"."We will guide you and walk with you in

your projects. You will find a climate that

encourages investment and rewards enter-

prise; it will nurture innovation and protect

your intellectual property," Modi said.

"It will make it easy to do business; our

immediate target is to bring us from the rear

ranks of the world into the top 50. You will

find a tax regime that is predictable and

competitive. We have removed some of the

excesses of the past. We will now soon ad-

dress the remaining uncertainties.

Our goal is an economy where skills, in-

frastructure and resources will not be con-

straints to growth," he said, adding heavy in-

vestments in infrastructure and agriculture

will improve the economy.

Noting that "in the world of economics,

numbers are often an unforgiving mirror to

performance," Modi said: "They are telling

us that we are on the right path. Our eco-

nomic growth has increased by a percentage

point. Today, business sentiments in India

are the strongest among major Asian mar-

kets. Consumer confidence in India has

turned positive after three years.

"Growth in the eight core sectors of the

economy has increased sharply. Inflation is

at a five-year low. And, 110 million new

bank accounts have opened in the last four

months. Investments from the United States

have jumped by 50 percent in the first six

months of my government. And, I know that

some of the pledges made in September in

Washington have begun to flow in."Stressing the India-US partnership "will be

vital for prosperity at home and our eco-

nomic leadership abroad", he held it will

also help address "global challenges of our

times".

Turning to President Obama, Modi said

that with his support, "quite simply, the

joined hands of India and the United States

will make this world a better place for all.

With your leadership, Mr. President, and

with the support of our gifted people, we

will turn our commitments into concrete ac-

tion".

The US-India Business Council (USIBC)

along with India's department of industrial

policy and promotion (DIPP), the Confeder-

ation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Feder-

ation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and

Industry (FICCI) organized the summit.

Before this meeting, Modi, speaking at the

interactive India US CEO Forum, highlight-

ed key priorities of his government includ-

ing improving "Ease of Doing Business",

and the "Make in India" initiative. He also

added it is extremely important to listen to

investors, as this helps speed up decisions.

Reacting to the statements by Modi and

Obama, CII president Ajay Shriram ex-

pressed hope that the newly-announced US-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue

will convene soon to chart out the path for

enhanced bilateral economic cooperation.

He also welcomed Modis commitment to

making the business environment in India

easier and more predictable. In this regard,

he welcomed the new cell being set up in the

PMO to fast track US investments in India.

It is these steps, he noted, that will help

step up the USs engagement in the Indian

economy.

New impetus to business, trade ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obamaat the India-US Business Summit in New Delhi.

New Delhi: Commerce and Indus-

try Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

said that the US and India will iden-

tify priority sectors for attracting

investment after the upcoming

budget session.

The minister, who met US Com-

merce Secretary Penny Pritzke

here, revealed that senior officials

from both sides will meet to discuss

and identify the sectors that can at-

tract investment and technology.They (officials) will sit and

identify sectors where priority in-

vestments can come in, the minis-

ter told reporters after the meeting

here.

man called for enhanced technol-

ogy sharing and investments in In-

dia's small and medium enterprises.

"We have asked for possibilities

where technology could be shared

and to bring in investments to help

small and medium enterprises," she

said.

The minister pointed at the need

for creation of a task force to usher

in investments and identify sectorsthat have the possibility to attract

influx of funds from the US.

"We need to have a task force

working on getting investments,

identifying and prioritizing sectors

where investments can come in."

Sitharaman also discussed issues

regarding the totalization agree-

ment and visas, apart from inviting

US views on the draft intellectual

property right (IPR) policy.

"We invited the Americans to

have a look at the policy and invit-

ed inputs from them on the draft

policy," she added.

IPR protection was one of themajor issues that was discussed be-

tween the two countries in the just

finished three-day state visit of

President Barack Obama.

India, US to identify

sectors for investments:Sitharaman

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman withUS Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzke.

India high onUS investors'agenda: JaitleyNew Delhi: Finance Minister Arun

Jaitley said President Barack Obamas

visit to India has helped forge a new

commercial relationship between India

and the US.

President Barack Obamas visit to

India has helped forge a new commer-

cial relationship with India. The con-

clave of Indian and American CEOs

(chief executive officer) exhibited a

strong confidence about India. The

desire of American businesses to invest

in India was great, he said in his

Facebook post.

Their queries related essentially to

the ease of doing business in India.

With the American economy growing

stronger, US corporates are flush with

funds looking to invest elsewhere. India

appears high on their agenda, he added

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New Delhi: President Obama praised

Narendra Modi for his "legendary work eth-

ic", and described him as tough and stylish.

He praised the Indian prime minister's sarto-

rial elegance and said he was also thinking

of wearing a "Modi kurta".

Speaking at the dinner banquet hosted by

President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati

Bhavan, Obama marveled at how Modi, the

son of a tea vendor, became prime minister

of the world's largest democracy.

"Here this evening, we think back to all

these years ago... your (Modi's) father sell-

ing tea at the train stations, your mother

working at other's families homes to support

and earn. Tonight, their son welcomes us as

the prime minister of the world's largest

democracy," Obama said.

Visibly impressed with Modi's work style,

Obama said: "We all know about the prime

minister's legendary work ethic. He was ex-

plaining to me today how he only needed

three hours' sleep which made me feel bad. I

thought I was doing okay with five."

"What I didn't know until now is that heonce survived an attack by a crocodile. So he

is tough," he said.

Praising Modi for his "style" and sartorial

elegance, Obama said "tonight, I was think-

ing about wearing a Modi kurta myself" to

smiles around.

Michelle, who was attired in a floral print-

ed dress, also exchanged pleasantries with

the guests.

Business leaders, including Ratan Tata and

Mukesh Ambani, were among those present.

The dinner had both non-vegetarian and

vegetarian dishes. The main course included

mustard fish curry, chicken korma, gushta-

ba, roast leg of lamb, mutton rogan josh (all

non vegetarian dishes) and kadhi pakori, dal

raisina, achari paneer, chhole, haak ka saag,

chaunka matar and bedmi aloo (all vegetari-

an dishes). The menu included vegetarian

and non-vegetarian tandoori platters, curd,saffron rice, papad, soup and a variety of In-

dian bread. The desserts included malpua

with rabri, date steam pudding and cut

pudding.

Obama praises Modi's work ethic

Barack Obama praised Narendra Modi for his style and sartorial elegance.

Modi's name

suit creates

wavesNew Delhi: A close look at

Narendra Modi's bandhgala

suit that he wore for a joint ap-

pearance with President Oba-

ma here, showed it was a cus-

tomized marvel -- with theprime minister's full name

'Narendra Damodardas Modi'

written in pinstripes.

The 'name suit' was reported

to have been tailored by Jade

Blue in Ahmedabad, the

clothing chain that handles

Modi's wardrobe since his

days as Chief Minister in Gu-

jarat. Modi wore the deep blue

bandhgala suit at Hyderabad

House when he stepped out

for a 'Chai Pe Charcha' meet

and a press conference with

Obama. It would have passed

off as a regular ensemble that

the Indian leader flaunts every

now and then, but zoomed im-ages of the outfit have re-

vealed another story altogeth-

er -- his name was intricately

woven into the fabric.

Fashion designers say the fi-

nesse with which Modi's

name features in the fabric re-

quires special technique, and

that the fabric is most likely

hand-woven.

"It's a very fine jacquard

technique of weaving. It's not

embroidery, and its cost

would be dependent on the

fiber and technique," designer

Samant Chauhan said, indi-

cating that developing such afabric could cost anything be-

tween Rs.80,000 up to

Rs.500,000.

S I D E L I G H T S

Obama quotes SRK'sDDLJ dialogue

Obama charmed everyone by quoting Shah Rukh

Khan's famous line 'Senorita, bade bade deshon

mein...' from blockbuster 'Dilwale Dulhania Le

Jayenge' at the Siri Fort auditorium in New Delhi.

"Last celebration here we celebrated festival of lights in

Mumbai. We danced with some children. Unfortunately, we

were not able to schedule any dancing in this visit. Senorita,bade bade desho mein... you know what I mean," Obama said

to cheering crowds with a smile while addressing a Town

Hall style event on the third and final day of his visit to In-

dia. The President picked Indian heroes like SRK and sports

icons like Milkha Singh and Mary Kom and Nobel laureate

Kailash Satyarthi to make a point that courage and humani-

tarian values unify both the nations.

For First Lady, over 100Banarasi saris

As the Obamas landed in Delhi, weavers from Prime

Minister Narendra Modi's Varanasi constituency

were ready with a special gift for the First Lady -

over 100 Banarasi saris. This special gift for the Michelle

Obama is believed to have been put together on a requestfrom PM Modi. The weavers were reportedly asked by the

union textile ministry to pack saris for her to choose from.

One of the weavers, Asif Matin, said he created a sari em-

broidered with silver and gold zari worth Rs 1.25 lakh.

Who's who queue up to meet Obama

In one long shot, the camera captured a queue with a net worth up-

wards of $70 billion. There they waited patiently, the who's who of

India Inc to meet President Obama, described as the most powerful

man in the world. The 15-odd businessmen, and women, in that frame

run companies that together have a market capitalization of over $300

billion, which is roughly one-sixth of the Indian economy. Impressive

from an India point of view, but some numbers put in perspective whyIndia's rich and powerful stood so patiently to meet the US President.

America's economy is nearly 10 times that of India's, with a GDP of

$17 trillion. And America's richest man - Microsoft founder Bill Gates -

has a net worth of $81 billion - more than all of the 15 Indian business

leaders in the photograph. (Photo Courtesy: PTI)

US PRESIDENTS VISITS TO INDIA

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New Delhi: Recalling the historic address

of Swami Vivekananda, US President

Barack Obama Tuesday won over his audi-

ence by referring to them as "sisters and

brothers of India" and said he firmly be-

lieves America can be India's "best partner"

and together the two nations can bring

more prosperity to their people.

In his final engagement in India, before

flying to Riyadh and then home, the US

president addressed a town hall-style meet-

ing in Siri Fort auditorium, where he said:

"India and the US are not just natural part-

ners, I believe that America can be India's

best partner, I believe that."

Addressing an invited gathering of young

people, civil society and diplomats, the USpresident reached out to the audience with

many Hindi words like "Namastey",

"Dhanyavad" and even some references to

Bollywood films, which had the crowd ec-

static.

He said he was "absolutely convinced"

that when both the democracies stand to-

gether they can produce more jobs, oppor-

tunities and prosperity for their people. "I

believe that," he said.

Recalling the historic address of Swami

Vivekananda, Obama began his town hall

meeting with the invocation "sisters and

brothers of India" and talked about how the

philosopher-sage introduced Hinduism and

yoga to America in a city that was his

hometown.He recalled Swami Vivekananda and his

famous speech in Chicago, exactly 100

years ago, where he addressed the gather-

ing as "sisters and brothers of America"

and said he was going to address the audi-

ence likewise.

Obama struck a personal chord with the

mainly youthful crowd, saying he was very

impressed with the daredevilry of the mo-

torcycle contingent riding Royal Enfield

bikes and wished he could ride a bike too.

"But the Secret Service does not let me

ride motor cycles," he said, and also re-

marked that he cannot dance as well as his

wife Michelle.

In a speech where he touched on the need

for India and the US to work together on

climate change, on how the US can partner

India in its growth story, in defence coop-

eration and becoming partners in the secu-

rity of the Asia-Pacific region, the Ameri-

can president also stressed on the need for

the government to uphold the freedom of

religion written in the constitution of both

the countries.

He also spoke of the civil nuclear deal

that both countries are pushing ahead with,

saying it would help bring electricity to

homes in India and more clean energy.

He also talked about the importance of

women in society and said a "nation is suc-

cessful when its women are successful", a

remark which again drew strong applause.

He talked about how impressed he was

with the "incredible women in (India's)

armed forces" that he witnessed at the Re-

public Day parade and also mentioned

about the women officer - Wing Com-

mander Pooja Thakur of the Indian Air

Force - who led the guard of honour at

Rashtrapati Bhavan at his official welcom-

ing ceremony Jan 25.

Ahead of his speech, Obama and his wife

met Nobel Peace prize winner Kailash Sat-

yarthi at the auditorium as well as some of

the NGOs.

New Delhi: It was history being

made on radio. Prime Minister

Narendra Modi and US President

Barack Obama addressed a joint

Mann ki Baat program on radio,

talking about their humble origins,

their inspirations, on women em-

powerment and youth and values

shared by two of world's largest

democracies.

Obama, taking a veiled dig at Chi-

na and some other countries seen to

regulate information flow throughthe internet, said he had much

greater faith in open societies in

their ability to succeed and thrive in

the new information age than the

closed societies which try to con-

trol information that citizens re-

ceive.

The personal chemistry between

the two was evident with Modi re-

ferring to Obama by his first name.

Obama said it was apparently the

first joint radio broadcast by leaders

of the two countries. Modi set the

tone for the over 30-minute broad-

cast saying that some questions

touch the heart and through them

the two leaders will be able to reach

out to the common man in different

parts of the country. Obama, who

spoke of the two countries being

natural partners, added a personal

touch, saying that he would bring his

two daughters to India even if it hap-

pens after his presidency.

He said his daughters are fascinat-

ed by India but have not been able to

come on his two visits to the coun-

try due to their examinations. So

when I go back I am going to tell

them that India is as magnificent as

they imagined, Obama said. Modi

said when he took a photograph out-

side White House in his younger

days, he could never imagine he

would get to see the building from

inside.

Referring to his visit to the White

House in September last year, Modi

said Obama gave him a book of

speeches delivered at the World Re-

ligions Conference in Chicago in the

last part of nineteenth century. Swa-

mi Vivekananda, who delivered a fa-

mous speech at the conference, was

the inspiration of his life, he said.

Asked about the American leader

who inspired him the most, Modi

named Benjamin Franklin, one of

the country's founding fathers.

In a first, Narendra Modi and Barack Obama addresseda joint Mann ki Baat program on radio.

Barack Obama meets a section of the audience at a town hall-stylemeeting at Siri Fort auditorium in New Delhi.

'US can be India's best partner'

Modi, Obama openhearts in 'Mann Ki Baat'New Delhi: That US

President Barack Oba-

ma knows how to work

the crowds was evident

from his address at the

Siri Fort Auditorium

where he had a predom-

inantly young crowd

screaming out his name,

repeatedly applauding

him and vying with one

another to clasp his

hands as well as that of

his wife Michelle whenboth of them came down to inter-

act with the audience.

The hour-long, town hall-meet-

ing style event, was punctuated by

repeated applause - almost every

few minutes - as Obama spoke

about the dreams and opportuni-

ties for the young, the diversity of

both the US and India and the

time for the US and India not just

to be "natural partners" but "In-

dia's best partner" on a range of is-

sues from education to environ-

ment, fron infrastructure to count-

er-terrorism. "If the grandson of a

cook can become president, and

the tea seller can become the

prime minister, so can young peo-

ple from the humblest of origins

dare to dream big and realize their

aspirations," he said to loud

cheers and applause. After the ad-

dress, the Obama walked the

stage to loud applause, came

down and then went around meet-

ing the audience in the first row

with excited youngsters particu-

larly jostling to reach out to their

hands, as they happily pumped

flesh for nearly 10 minutes, and

taking their pictures on their mo-

bile phones. As the Obamas went

around, the sound system erupted

with popular song from the hit

Aamir Khan starrer "Lagaan" - O

mitwa, sun mitwa, tujhko kya darr

hai re Dharatee apanee hai, apana

ambar hai re, tu aaja re - which

extols the virtues of friendshipand partriotism, making it a day

that many in the audience would

remember.

Obama works the crowd

pumps flesh American-style

Obama with the First Ladyat the Siri Fort Auditorium.

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Jan. 31-Feb 6, 2015TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL

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INDIA CHANTS OBAMAThe visit of President Obama to India not only resulted in both countries overcoming their six-year deadlock overthe civil nuclear deal but also producing a "strategic vision" for closer cooperation. As they discussed business,

Obama and Modi built a special personal rapport. Here are some great shots from the three-day visit.

Enthusiastic crowd near the R Day parade VIP viewing gallery waving to President Obama.First Lady Michelle Obama meets members

of the audience at Siri Fort Auditorium.

Obama plants a sapling at the Rajghat Gandhimemorial in New Delhi.

Modi with Obama at Hyderabad Housewhere they also had 'chai pe charcha'.

Modi presenting to President Obama a reproduction of telegramsent by America to the Indian Constituent Assembly in 1946.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes US President BarackObama and the First Lady Michelle Obama on their arrival at

Palam Airport in New Delhi. President Pranab Mukherjee hosts a banquet in the honor of the Obamas at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

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By Ashok Malik

In inviting Barack Obama to become the

first American president to be the chief

guest on Indias Republic Day, Prime

Minister Narendra Modi was sending a clear

signal. What was not so clear was whether

the visit would yield anything substantive.In the end, agreements reached by the two

governments have gone well beyond expec-

tations.

The joint statement, running into eight

pages and 59 paragraphs, is among the

lengthiest in recent memory. It takes forward

several initiatives mentioned in the Septem-

ber 2014 joint statement in Washington, DC.

Not surprisingly, it devotes its opening pages

simply to going over what has been done

since September, in areas as far apart as

higher education and IT, smart cities and

counter-terrorism.

In New Delhi itself, the joint statement an-

nounced the successful conclusion of the ne-

gotiations of the contact group on out-

standing issues related to the India-US nu-clear deal. Some have wondered whether the

creation of an insurance pool will remove all

misgivings about Section 17(b) of the Indi-

an nuclear liability law. Actually a lot of

homework was done on this. A multi-min-

istry team ministries of external affairs,

law and justice, finance studied the issue

and looked at precedents of 26 insurance

pools in various countries, including France

and the US.

On Section 46 and the apparent confusion

between the definitions and liabilities of an

operator and a supplier, much store was

placed on case law and the history of leg-

islative deliberations that preceded the fram-

ing of the Indian law. It proved persuasive.

Lawyers including those of the Indian

government, of Indian nuclear-component

manufacturers and of American corporations

such as Westinghouse and GE, part of the

contact group consultations were left

confident the interpretation could be defend-

ed in an Indian court. A legal challenge by

anti-nuclear activists is inevitable.

Another legacy issue was climate change.

As in September, the prime minister linked

cooperation and American advance on re-

newables, including solar energy, and on the

nuclear question to easing the coal compo-

nent in Indias energy mix and, in the long

run, moving towards a responsible role for

India in the climate change debate.

There are no hard numbers here there

cannot be: India cannot commit to emissions

targets or even a cap year at this stage of its

development but Modi has indicated he

will not stand in the way of any global ac-

cord.

The run-up to the Paris climate change

conference at the end of 2015, at which In-dia has promised to play a constructive role,

will need to be watched. Knee-jerk respons-

es that have guided the environment min-

istry since the 1990s will likely be tweaked

towards a 21st century approach.

In the days before Obama arrived, the

Modi government repeatedly used the word

embedded to describe the role of US insti-

tutions, technologies and projects in Indias

development, and perhaps in its foreign pol-

icy postures too. This is not to suggest Modi

is offering a no questions asked alliance; he

isnt, and no Indian leader can. Yet, an en-

lightened cooperation has replaced the de-

nial of the past.

It has also iterated that Modi is willing tostand on a platform with only the US un-

hindered by the diffidence of previous

decades and governments and propel In-

dia to a larger role on the global stage. When

India and the US commit to bilateral efforts

to advance sustainable development in co-

operation with partner countries around the

world (in the joint statement) and lever-

age the talents and strengths of our people to

enhance sustainable, inclusive development

around the globe (in the Delhi Declaration

of Friendship) it does speak of a new dar-

ing. The Great Game in the India-Pacific has

begun. Having said that, all of this is de-

pendent on Modi not just reviving econom-

ic growth in India but taking it to hithertounknown heights.

This is the way of great nations. Govern-

ments come and go, but the ship of national

enterprise moves on. On this Republic Day,

it promised to take India and America to new

frontiers and new destinies.

India-US agreements

beyond expectations

The walk together of the two leaders in the Hyderabad House gardencleared the logjam.

By C Uday Bhaskar

The much awaited and long-

delayed modus-vivendi be-

tween India and the US over

the finalization of the civilian nu-clear cooperation agreement that

began in July 2005 has finally been

achieved on the first day of US

President Barack Obama's visit to

India.

The major obstacles were the na-

ture of the liability clauses in the

event of any nuclear accident or in-

cident which India wanted and the

nuclear-reactor inspection rights

that the US had sought. India had

introduced a nuclear liability law in

2010 -- as it happens, at the behest

of the BJP which was then in the

opposition -- that placed the liabil-

ity on the supplier in the event of a

nuclear accident. This is at variance

with the global norm which places

the liability in such exigencies on

the operator. However, this stipula-

tion was not acceptable to the US.

The US, in turn, sought to impose

'flag rights in perpetuity', meaning

that in the event India acquired a

US nuclear reactor, the US would

retain the right in perpetuity to in-

spect any material or equipment

that was being used in or associat-

ed with the said reactor. India saw

this as an infringement of its nu-

clear sovereignty and resisted such

a clause.

Consequently, the much antici-

pated c ivilian nuclear cooperation

commerce between the US and In-

dia remained a non-starter and the

issue continued to fester from late

2008 when the (George W.) Bush

administration had gone the extra

mile to tweak its domestic legisla-

tion to accord India an exceptional

status in the global nuclear domain.

The BJP-led NDA government,

which assumed office in May 2014,

had prioritized the nuclear issueand Prime Minister Narendra Modi

indicated that this matter would re-

ceive the highest political attention

when he visited the US in Septem-

ber 2014 for his first meeting with

President Obama. However, de-

spite a series of meetings between

the officials on both sides over the

last few months, it appeared that a

compromise on the nuclear issue

remained elusive. The dramatic

"breakthrough" - as Obama himself

described it - announced is to be

welcomed and is indicative of the

joint political resolve that the

Modi-Obama combine has been

able to demonstrate to redress a

long festering issue that has pre-

vented the India-US bilateral rela-

tionship from realizing the poten-

tial benefits embedded in the radi-

cal breakthrough of July 2005 that

had ended India's nuclear isolation

in the global comity.

The impact of this Delhi break-

through on the nuclear issue will

re-energize and reset the moribundIndia-US bilateral relationship and

this will in all likelihood have a

beneficial ripple effect on all the

other issues that are awaiting trac-

tion during the current Obama vis-

it.

Hopefully, India will be able to

overcome some of its earlier inhi-

bitions regarding the foundational

agreements as regards the defense

and military sector and this, in turn,

will allow Delhi to begin actively

reviewing the high technology pos-

sibilities that were first mooted in

July 2005 and then signed October

2008.

This has been a long wait but the

Modi-Obama 'chai pe charcha'

(conversation over tea) has cleared

the logjam. The eagle and the ele-

phant may still tango!

India-US arrive at modus vivendi on nuclear deal

The Great Game in the India-Pacific hasbegun. Having said that, all of this is

dependent on Narendra Modi not justreviving economic growth in India buttaking it to hitherto unknown heights.

President Obama and PM Modi aftersigning the joint statement.

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Islamabad: Pakistan has expressed se-

rious concern over the finalization of a

nuclear deal between the US and India,

saying it would have destabilizing im-

pact on regional stability.

"The operationalization of India-US

nuclear deal for political and economic

expediencies would have a detrimental

impact on deterrence stability in South

Asia," Pakistan's National Security Ad-

viser Sartaj Aziz said.

"Pakistan reserves the right to safe-

guard its national security interests,"

Xinhua quoted him as saying in a state-

ment.

Aziz said Pakistan valued its relationswith the US and expected it to play a

constructive role for strategic stability

and balance in South Asia.

He also opposed permanent seat to In-

dia in the UN Security Council after

President Obama supported New Del-

hi's move to seek the seat.

"Proposals to add new centers of priv-

ilege in the Security Council run count-

er to these collective objectives of Secu-

rity Council reform and have no ration-

ale in this age of democracy, inclusive-

ness and accountability," Aziz said.

Pakistan, he said, supports a reformed

Security Council that corresponds to the

positions and collective interests of all

member states, not just a few.

"Pakistan, along with a large majority

of UN member states, favours a com-

prehensive reform of the Security Coun-

cil to make this principal organ of theUnited Nations more representative,

democratic, effective, transparent and

accountable," Aziz said.

"A country, in violation of United Na-

tions Security Council resolutions on

matters of international peace and secu-

rity, such as the Jammu and Kashmir

dispute, by no means qualifies for a spe-

cial status in the Security Council," he

said.

Pakistan also contested suggestion to

grant membership of the Nuclear Sup-

pliers Group (NSG) to India.

"Pakistan is opposed to yet another

country-specific exemption from NSG

rules to grant membership to India, as

this would further compound the al-

ready fragile strategic stability environ-

ment in South Asia, would further un-

dermine the credibility of NSG and

weaken the non proliferation regime,"Aziz said.

Dharamsala:Tibetan prime min-

ister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay de-

scribed the visit of US President

Barack Obama to India as a re-

flection of renewed energy in bi-

lateral engagement.

"I am very happy to see that the

president of the US is here in In-

dia to take part and be the chief

guest at the Republic Day cele-

brations," he told reporters here.

"Since America and India are

the two largest democracies of the

world, it's a celebration of democ-

racy that we are witnessing to-

day," he

said.

"It's also fitting because today is

the day that India promulgated its

Constitution in 1950, so the pres-

ident of the US to come here on

this day is a reflection of renewed

energy in their bilateral engage-

ment.

"As a Tibetan, I welcome and

celebrate the get-together of these

two great nations," the democrat-

ically-elected leader added.

Moscow: In view of the

growing strategic partner-

ship between Washington

and New Delhi, Russian

Deputy Foreign Minister

Igor Morgulov said that

Russia and India remain

strategic partners and no

external influence can af-

fect them.

"Our relations with India

have an independent value.

Indian Deputy Foreign

Minister Sujata Singh said

Moscow remained a strate-gic partner for New Delhi.

Ambassador Raghavan

confirmed the same. Id

add that we are not only

strategic partners but also

close friends, Morgulov

said. Russian President

Vladimir Putin during the

15th India-Russia annual

summit in New Delhi in

December last year inked

20 agreements with India,

including in the sphere of

defence cooperation, oil

and gas, and trade, after the

holding of the 15th India-

Russia annual summit in

New Delhi.

Russia has been a strate-gic partner for India and

has numerous defence,

space and nuclear coopera-

tion deals.

Tibetan prime minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov

Islamabad also opposed permanentseat to India in the UN Security Council.

Pak expresses concernover US-India n-deal

Obama visitreflection of

renewed energy:Tibetan PM

'Russia, Indiaremain strategic

partners'

Beijing: India and China must not fall into the

trap of rivalry set by the West, a Chinese daily

said Monday alluding to US President Barack

Obama's second visit to India and being the chief

guest of the Republic Day parade.

"Many reports by Western media have pointed

out that the US, regardless of historical compli-

cations, is putting more efforts into soliciting In-

dia to act as a partner, even an ally, to support

Washington's 'pivot to Asia' strategy, which ismainly devised to counter China's rise," an op-ed

piece in the Global Times stated.

It said India, which has ambitions to be a ma-

jor power, needed US investment, technologies

and political support so that its "Look East" for-

eign policy could better function to counterbal-

ance China's growing influence.

"The West is egging India on to be fully pre-

pared for 'threats' posed by its large neighbor.

Considering the fact that both sides still have ter-

ritorial disputes and will probably have wider en-

gagement at many levels, this so-called rivalry

between India and China will not stop making

headlines in Western media."

However, a trap is a trap, however craftily set,

and it would be revealed eventually, it added.

"Putting aside debates over specific issues,

China and India must keep in mind that their re-lations cannot take a life-or-death struggle as a

foothold. The common interests they share are

way larger than any differences."

India, Chinamust not fallinto rivalry

trap:Chinese daily

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HUGS DEFINED OBAMAS VISIT TOINDIA, AND CAUSED ITS SUCCESS

The South Asian Times:How signicant

do you think is President Obamas Chhabbis

Janavari visit to India? Is the freeze of the

Devyani affair a year ago nally over with

the Obama-Modi hugs?

Ravi Batra: President Barack Obamas

agreeing to be Chief Guest on Republic Day

was very signicant and a gift to the people

of India and a belief that the Indo-US rela-

tionship is critical for global peace in the

21st century. Then, all that changed! - PM

Narendra Modi abandoned protocol, with its

embedded wisdom, and went to the airport

to personally receive him, and while engaged

in a typical handshake suddenly upgraded

the greeting into a hug. Its the hugs

that dene this visit and caused the success

achieved during this trip: President Obamas

trust in Indias durable commitment to the

rule of law, honest desire to honor the spirit

of the agreements and national aspirations

that embrace peace and abhor war.

Indeed, after the hand-poured Chai Summit

in the Hyderabad House gardens, you saw two

nations born to be natural friends, walking as

natural buddies, achieve Pandit Jawaharlal

Nehrus August 14, 1947s Tryst with Destiny

on January 25, 2015 - when the N-Deal was

achieved without perpetual additional inspec-

vol 7 issue 39 jan 31- feb 6, 2015

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