Not a strange thing to ssy? Vjp On Jan 28, 2015 2:20 AM, "roger dsouza" <[email protected]> wrote:
> *India will succeed so long as it is not splintered on sectarian lines: > Obama* > Sachin Parashar,TNN | Jan 28, 2015 > > > NEW DELHI: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday waded into the raging > conversion dispute as he reminded the Indian government and people that > they ought to ensure freedom of religion as enshrined in Article 25 of the > Indian Constitution. > > While Obama's assertion was more of a nudge than an admonition, he spoke at > length about the freedom to be able to practice one's religion, reading out > from Indian Constitution which guarantees freedom to practice and propagate > religion. > > "Your Article 25 says that all people are 'equally entitled to freedom of > conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate > religion'," said Obama in his address to a largely young audience, hours > ahead of his departure. > > "In both our countries, in all countries, upholding this fundamental > freedom is the responsibility of government, but it's also the > responsibility of every person," he added. > > The US President went on to say that India was going to succeed so long as > it was not splintered on sectarian lines. He recalled the attack on a Sikh > temple in Wisconsin saying that this terrible act of violence had both > India and US reaffirming that every person had the right to practise the > faith of their choice. > > To further drive home his point about religious tolerance in India, Obama > mentioned the recognition achieved by people like Shah Rukh Khan, Milkha > Singh and Mary Kom, all from minority communities, in India. > > Obama's remarks came during the course of his almost hour-long speech > titled "India and America: The Future We Can Build Together". According to > a report in New York Times, Obama was under pressure from advocacy groups > to take up the issue of human rights while in India. Among his audience was > Kailash Satyarthi, a fellow Nobel peace laureate. > > The focus on religion though was just one aspect of his speech in which he > made a compelling case for stronger cooperation between India and the US. > "India and US are natural partners but I believe they can also be best > partners," he said. > > Obama also backed the just concluded negotiations for operationalizing the > civil nuclear agreement which he said could help fight climate change > through clean energy. He touched upon a number of global issues as he > exhorted India to play a bigger role saying with greater power came more > responsibility. > > "The United States welcomes a greater role for India in the Asia Pacific, > where freedom of navigation must be upheld and disputes must be resolved > peacefully," said Obama. While reiterating support for India's candidature > for permanent membership of UNSC, he said the two countries could work > together for peace and stability in the region, including in Burma and Sri > Lanka where, he said, there was new hope for democracy. He also sought > closer partnership between the two countries in security and defence. > > > The speech was peppered by references to Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr > and also Vivekananda who, he said, brought to the US yoga and Hinduism. > Twice Obama addressed the audience as sisters and brothers of India after > he referred to Vivekananda's speech in Chicago where he addressed the US > audience as sisters and brothers of America. > > > The manner in which Obama invoked his own background and also America's > racial segregation in the past in pressing India on issues like women > rights and religious freedom helped temper his message which could still > ruffle some feathers here. Obama mentioned how his grandfather was the son > of a cook in the British army. > > "Even as we live in a world of wrenching inequities, we're also proud to > live in countries where even the grandson of a cook can become president, > even a Dalit can help write a constitution, and even a tea seller can > become prime minister," Obama said, as he recalled how King Jr was > introduced in a school as a "fellow untouchable" when he visited India. >
