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It is a thrilling experience to be here in the US after India has done it. I have never "felt like an Indian" before. Every Tom, ...(well that’s a common phrase...) speaks about "Indiya". The media too is enjoying this feast. A few days ago, when our President was here, the major newspapers did not carry front-page articles about that. On the other day, the cabbie asked me if I was from Indiya. When I reluctantly said 'yep', he curiously asked "would this scientific tests mean that you're gonna be a threat to us?" I nodded in the negative and tried to convince him. He was far from convinced. He represents the common man of the US. The American colleagues here maintained a calculated silence initially, but later asked if we were really facing security threats from China and Pakistan. They too seem to be bothered. The New York Times and The USA Today came up with sensational headlines. "US Angered by N-Tests by India", "US Slaps sanctions on India", "Clinton worried about Tests", "Defiant India looks inward for support", and "Once-Crushed leader turns 'Macho'" were the hit of these days. The New York Times claimed that it warned the US officials about this eventuality back in 1995. It reproduced a report on the test preparations of India, which it published in 1995. Everybody seems to be blaming CIA. To add to it, an Indian official is reported to have said "we fooled the CIA by setting up a fake test site on the other side of the country". I visited the CIA web site, but they have only a vague press release on this issue. 'Analysts' say that economic and other sanctions would definitely affect India. But on the other hand, big company representatives from Boeing and the like are worried because the vastly unexplored Indian market is now with European companies like Airbus. Indian market is something that they can't afford to lose. The feeling against more sanctions is also on the cards but since these people have it as a law, and not as a policy, nothing much can be done. Former secretary of state Kissinger said on an interview with CNN that long-term sanctions would be a political mistake. Many top diplomatic officials share this view. It was interesting to note that Vajpayee was rarely shown in TV news of other programs. Nawas Sherif was a regular. They showed George Fernades once. The map of India, as you know, is not the one we used to see. Pakistan is obviously worried. I heard Pakistani Foreign Minister saying, "Their (Indian) statement that Pakistan is posing a security threat to them is the biggest joke. They have the third biggest army in the world, fourth biggest air force and the fifth biggest navy. We are not a threat to them. This tests are totally unwanted". And people are hitting headlines just because of this. An unknown government official convened a press conference here just to say this: "They did it again, I can't believe it!" Probably the shortest press conference in the history! The CNN and Time web sites are conducting opinion polls. We won the CNN poll convincingly. The last time when I was there, it was a 79-21 advantage to India. Time poll is a bit tricky. They ask you this. Which country's policy does the US should support (India/China/Stand in the mid-way). We were having a poor show there. Despite requests from NRIs to go to the site and vote in favor of India, we were losing the poll 24-73. India related sites like ListenIndia also conducted polls. The result of ListenIndia poll was 97-2. Every Indian in the street is talking about this. For the first time, I had a discussion with one guy in the train, who identified himself as an Irish, about this. (Otherwise, the unwritten rule is: if you don't know somebody, don't speak. Don't even look at him. Take a book/news paper to read while you are traveling!) Altogether it’s a different experience. Everyone out there is talking about your country. Now you are an Indian, otherwise, just an Asian! So, I am an INDIYAN now! (Written on May 14, 1998, just after India conducted N-Tests) Read my other e-mails: |
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