Obama is in India

[Vikrant]

Modi's hug was only reserved for Abe and Abbot but it looks like Obama is in the circle too now

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/world/asia/modi-and-obama-hugging-for-indias-security.html

 

[Vikrant]

What?

India doesn't serve dog?

Hope He brought His royal lunch.......

Go take a nap. That will be far better use of your time.

 

[Statistikhengst]

Statistikhengst

Here is the last video for tonight. This is a video of Obama and First Lady's reception at the President's House in New Delhi. This one has commentary both in Hindi and English. The commentary is kind of entertaining - especially the talking points. Just fast forward to the frame where Obama and Michelle arrive. If I have some energy left after work tomorrow, I will post more.

Cool! An armed Indian bodyguard squad on horseback! Pres. Obama steps out of a batmobile at 19:37, the salute of the interservices guard of honor is at 21:00. The commander of the honor guard is a female (and a beautiful one, at that)!! What a shame that the respective national anthems are presented only with brass band, without text, for most do not know how stunningly beautiful the text to the Indian national anthem is. It is one of the very few national anthems in the world with absolutely no reference to war, military might, victory in battle or such. The kind of victory spoken of here is the victory of the heart. Here the text to Jana-Gana-Mana:

"Victory to the ruler of people's mind and dispenser of India's destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind,
Gujarat, Maratha, Dravida, Odisha and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is
chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
Victory to the saviour of the people and dispenser of India's destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to thee."

It is also one of the only national anthems to have been composed within the 20th century. It also has an interesting tonality: starts with the Fundament, or tonic-chord (in this case: C-major), but ends on the ii-chord (d-minor). I often ask myself why brass bands in India play so badly, but then I once bought a Euphonium over Ebay from India and when it came, I discovered that it was in such bad shape, it was unplayable. LOL. My then-wife ended up turning it into a huge potted-plant holder!!

The female field commander has an interesting way of marching when she accompanies Pres. Obama away from the viewing stand (starting at 23:27). What is the history behind the swaying of the arms? I have not seen that before.

It looks like the American diplomatic staff, probably that is permanently stationed in India, is also there. Obama greeted the Indian staff, Modi greeted the American staff.

Nice red-carpet treatment. Tell me, is that just dirt where there is no grass, or is that maybe sandstone?

Vikrant - I think you did USMB a great service by posting this information. Thanks to you for taking the time to put this stuff out there.

Every army has its own way of marching. It is just there for the sake of discipline. That arm swinging is at least 200 years old.

The lady secret service agent who was guarding Obama's car looked pretty hawkish.

That area where there is no grass is basically made of small stones and fine sand.

Your post was pretty informative. I just wanted to add that India's national anthem was written by famous Indian poet Rabinder Nath Tagore.

I met a relative of Tagore's in 2004.

Gesendet von meinem GT-I9515 mit Tapatalk

 

[Vikrant]

Carla_Danger

I just noticed your signature (footer). You picked a very good sample when it comes to showcasing a racist.

 

[Vikrant]

President Obama appeared on a radio show with PM Modi. During the show regular Indians got to ask questions to President Obama. Below is a full transcript of that show.

Full transcript of Obama-Modi Mann ki baat - The Times of India

 

[Vikrant]

Here is the Chinese perspective.

---

BEIJING — When Chinese troops provoked a standoff with Indian forces on a disputed border high in the Himalayas just before President Xi Jinping of China arrived in India last year, a pall fell over what was supposed to be a landmark visit.

That episode, emblematic of China’s recent aggressiveness in the region, recurred in the minds of some Chinese analysts over the past few days as China observed the warmth between President Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India during Mr. Obama’s visit to New Delhi.

At the time of Mr. Xi’s trip in September, the Ministry of National Defense in Beijing sheepishly conceded that a Chinese incursion into Indian territory had probably occurred, and people here know that the troop movement, though small in the scheme of things, emboldened Mr. Modi to warn Mr. Xi about China’s expansionist tendencies.

...

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/w...aloof-from-warming-us-india-relationship.html

 

[Vikrant]

There is, of course, a risk that the skeptics will be right, that U.S.-India relations will settle into the slow rhythm of a cricket match in which moments of high drama are followed by seemingly interminable inactivity. To sustain the energy generated by this summit, Washington must focus now on implementation—aggressively following through on the many commitments it made in New Delhi. But it would be a mistake to stop there. The United States should continue pressing an ambitious agenda over the next two years by seeking out ways to bolster India’s role in meeting global challenges, building a capable defense industrial base, and taking leadership in the Asia-Pacific. This is not about setting an agenda for New Delhi, but rather, achieving practical cooperation in areas of shared common interests and goals.

...

Sustaining Ambition in the U.S.-India Relationship Foreign Policy