American Beggar in Delhi Rakesh Manchanda writes on American President Obama's visit to India
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India is no longer a land of snake charmers, stranded dogs, monkeys and beggars. Delhi today is a world class city. Thanks to Indian government and OC of Common Wealth Games. All beggars were packed and send out for twelve days. Delhi market with its up and downs is ready to welcome an expensive beggar from America. As per Indian standards and culture beggars are most important for religious fulfilment and salvation.

Let us understand pre-and post Diwali market first and beggars in Delhi and India later.

With the huge availability and growing demand of festive items made in China, local artisans in India are facing stiff competition to sell their products during this Diwali season. From fancy lights, lampshades, colourful Ganesha and Laxmi idols to crackers the market is surging with Chinese products. Consumers seem to be making a beeline to buy these attractive and cheap essentials to beautify their homes.

"There was a time when my family used to start making Diwali products two to three months before the festival. People now are more interested in fancy and cheap lights from China,"-says Lekh Raj. According to traders, the popularity of China-made fancy lights is because of their cheap prices and the wide variety available. A Chinese string of 100 tiny bulbs can be bought in the range of Rs 40 to Rs 80 says my friend Mr.Pant who I find on the roof top of his house dismantling Diwali bulbs. Lights in the shape of pineapples, pomegranates, rice and net stars among others are seen to be popular among north Indian buyers.Conventional potters, who make products using a spinning wheel, seem to be worst-hit. Manider Singh,a trader in Dehradun-Mussoorie belt says he has seen the demand for his earthen diyas dipping year after year.This forced him to create fancy and designer but expensive Indian diyas for this Diwali to attract different customer segment. For the first time Indian media and cartoonists has dared to paint American President as a powerful man begging for American jobs. Strange here is a president of the only superpower of the world that forcefully converted many African, Asian and Latin American countries to a group of begging nations. Third world countries are traditionally seen outside World Bank lobbying with their begging bowls.Today USA is standing weak and humble and needs Indian support in line with rich Indian tradition.It is a different story that past presidents of USA were actual beggars but they were painted by conventional media as forceful and super powerful solution providers.

For commons in India the visit of American president is still a mystery. Why Barak Hussain Obama is visiting India demands my son studying in class 5th ? What will he do ? I am confused I am still not clear what is the purpose of visit for this nice Kenya born Black. Last time when George W Junior(Bush) visited I was charged and updated. I released series of articles that got space in several web sites and after translation got published in Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi by print media at regional level.

I like Obama as an individual for his life struggle and his past. Unfortunately back home in America he and his comrades are fast loosing their majority and fame. He remains the first Black president to occupy the White House.Bigger the persons more his masks. Obama list of mask carries a new friend, a business man, Uranium salesman, a weapon seller, a dancer, a statesman, a referee(indo-pak conflict),Kashmir peace provider and now a beggar demanding 50,000 jobs and discussing job threats. Unlike Obama wearing several masks, China exporters continue to mask a clever businessman dressed as a beggar.

A journalist friend informs Obama is here to pay 26/11 homage for condolence of global terrorist problems created by his country`s business model. Another news channel confirms he is here as a man who allows his wife to dance in mumbai-India student gathering on a famous Bollywood song remembering Shahid Bhagat singh and his comrades. How can the first lady of USA help Indians to understand the social security to be given to Indian females ? Indian record on Gender equality is going worst then Pakistan says the Diwali edition of Times of India. Sample the maternal mortality score card of UNDP : India with 450 deaths per one lac live births is worst then Pakistan where the death per lac is 320.

Let us peep into the business luggage of the President of USA :

No Justice for the victims of the Bhopal Gas accident; to make Dow Chemicals pay for the damages and for the clean up of the factory site.US if honest can extradite Warren Anderson to India to stand trial.Being the first Afro-American President and coming after the neo-conservative Bush regime, there were expectations of positive changes. These, however, have not materialized. The United States, as part of its global hegemonic designs, is pursuing policies which are anti- business and are threat to the national sovereignty and the people's interests of many countries. The list of sanctions against few Africa and Latin American countries still continues. As far as India is concerned, the United States is aggressively pressurising the government to adopt economic policies which are detrimental to the people in the name of a strategic military alliance.

The dream selling of future Uranium power in Indian markets after two decades at the whooping cost of Rs. 25/- per unit is a bad business deal which has also blocked and banned Indian research on Thorium power generation. Thorium which is in abundance in India its research funds stand blocked. Indian leaders needs to ask USA to scrap the Indo-US Defence Framework Agreement which seeks to convert India into a military ally of the United States. Instead of military cooperation and joint exercises in and around Newyork after 9/11 why should Indian soil and Indian ocean is chosen ? Are Indian MPs courageous enough to stop pushing India in reverse gear and not to allow USA run away from nuclear liability ?  A reading of the Bill in Sansad web sites makes it clear that government is protecting the US nuclear reactor suppliers from claims of liability and compensation and is not worried about providing effective and speedy compensation to the people affected by a nuclear accident if any.Protecting Foreign Suppliers,investors and American retail chain mart is another problem.Why can`t strong indian- American leaders take a joint action plan to help india fight poverty and to help beggers to find more decent jobs ?

Indian Business market must welcome the Chinese and American beggars with open heart but not at nation`s cost.

Rakesh Manchanda,
B-5 Gharonda Apartments,
Shrestha Vihar,Delhi-92.
Contact numbers:011-22145369,
MOBILE NO. : +91 95606 30404.

Posted by collective at November 14, 2010 12:40 AM