At his town hall meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, winding up his India visit, US President Barack Obama chose to address some home truths — among them the question of democracy offering a chance to aspire and succeed even to those at the bottom rung if discriminations can be overcome. In particular, he alluded to the issue of diversity and religious intolerance, matters that have agitated the public sphere since the return of the BJP to power last May. In town hall meetings, dignitaries speak to ordinary people on high matters, pressing matters, matters that must be attended to if progress is to be made, and matters that may be on everyone’s mind — a little bit of everything they deem important.
This is far away from strategic negotiations in chambers of state, or from an interaction with leaders of business and industry of the kind the US President conducted a day earlier, where he offered financial backing to boost business between the two countries, and offered to look into visa concerns of Indian professionals in the United States as he reminded his interlocutors that in the last few years India-US trade had indeed gone up by 60 per cent — a “win-win” situation. But the town hall is, in a sense, an “alternative space”, and the American leader appeared to seize it with both hands.
He reminded the audience that everyone had the right to practise his faith without fear of persecution. India will succeed so long as it is “not splintered along lines of religious faith (or) along any lines”, he noted. This was not said in the manner of a dire prophecy or an admonition, but as a reminder of a necessity in diverse societies, as the American leader referred to the question of colour in his own country.
Mr Obama also said that upholding the “fundamental freedom of religion” was the responsibility of governments, although he reminded ordinary people of the responsibility cast on them too in this regard. Taking inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr and Mahatma Gandhi, the US leader could not have failed to dwell on equitable opportunity, gender parity and poverty. He said India had lifted more people out of poverty in recent years than any other country, and in India a tea-seller’s son could become PM. This was the magic of democracy. In the context of democracy, Mr Obama underlined the question of the dignity of women, saying notably, “Nations are successful when girls are.”
Remarkably, in his address on the eve of Republic Day, President Pranab Mukherjee had also emphasised the issues of religious harmony and the rights and dignity of women, indicating how wrong things have gone.
