bush visit to delhi
Bush visit
Bush left today, and Ram Krishen the sweeper was happy, he couldn’t understand why the Indians with big open mouths wanted Bush to come. He said, “if Bush Saheb was killed here, all our children would be killed”. A reference to the effects of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The newspapers all seem quite ecstatic about Bush’s visit. Outlook has a survey of Indian opinion on George Bush. The nuclear deal seems to have thrilled the Indian people. I have not really understood, what he has agreed on, so cannot elaborate until I can read some more.
I remember when Clinton came to India, the majority of Indians were genuinely happy; he was greeting and hugging the people and was showered with Indian hospitality and genuine love. Only politicians and bureaucrats greeted Bush. He was felicitated in safe spaces like Rashtrapati Bhavan. He did not even address the Parliament, because he was afraid of the heckling by the Parliamentarians or that he might have had to answer tough questions. He did not speak from the ramparts of the historic Red fort, since that is in a predominantly Muslim area of old Delhi, and it would have been a safety hazard. He spoke amidst the ruins of Purana Quila, overlooking the Delhi zoo. Arundati Roy has a good article in the Hindu about, how his speech would be received by the animals of the zoo. All humans critical of Bush were kept away. Sniffer dogs that have their own hotel rooms at the Meriden went before, he went anywhere. Roads were blocked in Delhi. Connaught place was impossible to reach. School children in the midst of their board exams had to contend with being unable to reach the examination halls because of road closings. Armed CRPF men in fatigues and guns were patrolling the Nizamudin area, another Muslim area in Delhi.
Laura Bush went to Noida and attended a tapping of a sesame street episode.
I heard Bush has lifted the ban on Indian mangoes from coming into America. So now I can stop dreaming but actually eat Alfonsos, chausas and all the other delicious varieties of ripe, sweet and juicy Indian mangoes. Some N.Y.'ers were interviewed about the mangoes that were now going to be imported. One woman said if Bush has anything to do with it, she wouldn’t eat them, but if they were Indian it was ok.
The Indian express had interesting pictures of the first family. At the Rashtrapati Bhavan ball, Bush was clearly letching at Condeliza Rice, while she walked past him. At the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial at Raj Ghat, the Indians next to Bush looked clearly unhappy, at this man who has single handedly brought the war on terror around the world, was paying his respects at India’s most respected non-violent man’s grave.
He has left for Pakistan tonight. The Pakistanis are quite critical of his India trip. They were wondering what compromises India had to negotiate to let the nuclear deal go through. Some of them also thought that Bush was feting India because of the 300 million strong Indian middle class markets that the US could exploit. India is also being used as a counterweight against the rising power of China in world markets. Two people died in communal clashes in Lucknow during a Bush protest rally today.
Bush left today, and Ram Krishen the sweeper was happy, he couldn’t understand why the Indians with big open mouths wanted Bush to come. He said, “if Bush Saheb was killed here, all our children would be killed”. A reference to the effects of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The newspapers all seem quite ecstatic about Bush’s visit. Outlook has a survey of Indian opinion on George Bush. The nuclear deal seems to have thrilled the Indian people. I have not really understood, what he has agreed on, so cannot elaborate until I can read some more.
I remember when Clinton came to India, the majority of Indians were genuinely happy; he was greeting and hugging the people and was showered with Indian hospitality and genuine love. Only politicians and bureaucrats greeted Bush. He was felicitated in safe spaces like Rashtrapati Bhavan. He did not even address the Parliament, because he was afraid of the heckling by the Parliamentarians or that he might have had to answer tough questions. He did not speak from the ramparts of the historic Red fort, since that is in a predominantly Muslim area of old Delhi, and it would have been a safety hazard. He spoke amidst the ruins of Purana Quila, overlooking the Delhi zoo. Arundati Roy has a good article in the Hindu about, how his speech would be received by the animals of the zoo. All humans critical of Bush were kept away. Sniffer dogs that have their own hotel rooms at the Meriden went before, he went anywhere. Roads were blocked in Delhi. Connaught place was impossible to reach. School children in the midst of their board exams had to contend with being unable to reach the examination halls because of road closings. Armed CRPF men in fatigues and guns were patrolling the Nizamudin area, another Muslim area in Delhi.
Laura Bush went to Noida and attended a tapping of a sesame street episode.
I heard Bush has lifted the ban on Indian mangoes from coming into America. So now I can stop dreaming but actually eat Alfonsos, chausas and all the other delicious varieties of ripe, sweet and juicy Indian mangoes. Some N.Y.'ers were interviewed about the mangoes that were now going to be imported. One woman said if Bush has anything to do with it, she wouldn’t eat them, but if they were Indian it was ok.
The Indian express had interesting pictures of the first family. At the Rashtrapati Bhavan ball, Bush was clearly letching at Condeliza Rice, while she walked past him. At the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial at Raj Ghat, the Indians next to Bush looked clearly unhappy, at this man who has single handedly brought the war on terror around the world, was paying his respects at India’s most respected non-violent man’s grave.
He has left for Pakistan tonight. The Pakistanis are quite critical of his India trip. They were wondering what compromises India had to negotiate to let the nuclear deal go through. Some of them also thought that Bush was feting India because of the 300 million strong Indian middle class markets that the US could exploit. India is also being used as a counterweight against the rising power of China in world markets. Two people died in communal clashes in Lucknow during a Bush protest rally today.
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