New Delhi
3 March 2006
Addressing the people of India from the ruins of what was the ancient
city of Indraprastha, United States President George Walker Bush on Friday spoke about
creating a new relationship with a country that offers "a compelling example" of how
multi-ethnic and multi-religion democracy fosters human freedom.
"In the birthplace of great religions, a billion souls of varied faiths now live side-by-side
in freedom and peace. When you come to India in the 21st century, you're
inspired by the past, and you can see the future," Mr Bush said in his 27-minute speech
telecast live in the US.
Prefacing his address with a "Namaste," he said "India has a Hindu majority, and one of
the world's largest Muslim populations. India is also home to millions of Sikhs and
Christians [who] worship freely" as he travelled back and forth in history and looked to
India's past to understand the future.
Quoting the words of Mahatma Gandhi, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and
Jawaharlal Nehru, the US President told an attentive audience that "the world has
benefited from the example of India's democracy, and now the world needs India's
leadership in freedom's cause."
He went on to observe that Gandhi's words "are familiar in my country because they
helped move a generation of Americans to overcome the injustice of racial segregation.
When Martin Luther King arrived in Delhi in 1959, he said to other countries, "I may go
as a tourist, but to India, I come as a pilgrim.
"I come to India as a friend," he said to a round of applause.
If Mr Bush mingled with the audience later in an unrehearsed manner, the reaction from
the invitees was no less spontaneous. Rear Admiral (Retd) Raja Menon felt Mr Bush's
speech was great. "He struck the right chord," he said leaving the heavily guarded
venue.
The US is beginning to understand and appreciate the meaning of friendship with India,
which is characterised by her religious diversity, observed National Minorities
Commission Chairman Tarlochan Singh. "He has turned the wheel of relationship,"
exclaimed Congress Spokesman Rajiv Shukla.
However, the Opposition BJP had a different take on the US President's address. The
party's representative in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Balbir Punj, felt Mr Bush could have
spoken candidly about the export of terrorism from Pakistan to India. "It (speech) was
very predictable, a good exercise in public relations," he said.
Among the special invitees were Nafisa Ali, Naresh Trehan, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Navin
Jindal, Jay Panda, Sachin Pilot, Jitin Prasada, Ashwini Kumar, Lalit Suri and others. Also
present were the guests of the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
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