Barack Obama visits India this weekend. Yeah, so what? That’s hardly news in India. For the past one month, I have been closely following the online coverage of media houses like NDTV, CNN-IBN and Times Of India among others. People in India are being dished out a ton of information, trivia, and “breaking news” about the visit. I have read everything ranging from how this will be a “landmark visit” (yeah, right!), “cement” the India-US bilateral ties, how India will be “firm” on visa and outsourcing, ask US for assistance in securing permanent seat at UN Security Council, to which school the President will visit, which Presidential Suite he’ll stay at, what he will eat, who he’ll dine with, what color kurta he’ll wear, what color sari Michele will buy, which elephant they’ll ride. I take back the last few. Got carried away:-) But can you blame me?
This is not the first US President to visit India and it won’t be the last. You’ll be naïve and stupid to believe anything concrete will come out of the visit. Yet, In India there’s a lot of song & dance going on for President Obama’s impending visit and media houses are milking it for what it is worth. The rest of us (sensible ones) know that these visits of State heads are only about symbolisms, tokenisms and political mumbo-jumbo at best. We’ll all eat, drink, shake hands, click pictures, have a customary press conference, say “Namaste” and then go our ways. Life goes on as usual.
In the US, there is a lot less theatrics. I hardly find any US air-time dedicated to Obama’s India visit. The print media also hasn’t been very enthused, except for the criticism of the President for spending $200 million every single day of his India visit and traveling with the largest entourage any US President ever has! There are occasional articles you will find about the President’s India visit, but for the most part these quite balanced and present facts for the way they are. Does Obama’s trip mean a lot more to India than to the US? You answer that.
The media in the US is pre-occupied with coverage and analysis of the recently concluded mid-term elections, where, as you may already know, Mr. President’s Democratic Party didn’t quite come out with flying colors. Most American people believe this is a direct result of his largely unpopular policies around economic stimulus package, auto industry bailout, healthcare reforms etc. I’m not a political analyst and hardly an authority to talk on the subject but this is where the news is, at least in the US. Obama’s India visit is no big deal, not to the people of America.
In India, Obama is probably the only thing we’ll get to hear and read of the next 4-5 days. In the US, we’ll hear of the growing popularity of Republicans, debate 2012 and Obama’s Presidential future, discuss the World Series, NBA, NFL, NHL, College Football, maybe even watch and comment on Sarah Palin’s daughter’s participation on Dancing with the Stars. After all this, if there is time, we will squeeze in a quick 30 seconds footage of Obama shaking hands with Dr. Manmohan Singh!
In so many ways, India and US are opposite ends of the pole and so damn different. And yet, its unfair not to acknowledge the interesting dynamic that the countries share. US is so pre-occupied about itself, what it has accomplished and events that directly affect it. Indian media finds reason to highlight things that are not even obliquely related to it and then dissect and analyze and comment. We find associativity even in places where there isn’t any. It’s almost like, for every nation like the US, there must be one like India.
After Obama’s visit, we will gloat over how Obama said “namastey” or might have even mouthed a few well-rehearsed Hindi words. How he sang praises about India and how “strategic” India is to the US. How he believes that India will be a “major economic superpower” to deal with in 20 years. How he loves Indian culture, food and Mahatma Gandhi. If we skim past the lofty statements of “common interest”, and all the rhetoric that will accompany it, we might be left asking ourselves: what was the big deal about this visit anyway? Did it deserve all the attention we gave it? Did we just squander 2 weeks of our lives focusing on something that will have no meaningful outcome?
The media needs to magnify this event and the “importance” surrounding it. Remember, they make a living out of it. You and I don’t. So, go ahead and celebrate Diwali, burst firecrackers, have sweets, throw a party, get drunk, take your dog for a walk or whatever else you do to have a fun weekend. Give Obama’s visit the credit and time it deserves. No more, no less.
