Prabhakar Konath
This is my view. I would love to hear yours. Especially those who differ and oppose my points. However, I will not get into arguments which may result in acrimony.
My View on US Elections.
We are running fever pitch on this topic in our groups.
Our batch has two main groups. Those in US and those of us who are condemned to live and work in India. And also a few, who are in other countries.
Regarding our US batch mates, I am confident of their ability to look after themselves and their interests. They are big boys. The rest of us wish them well. In any case they are better judges than us.
For those of us in India, my view is that whereas we have no say, and should not have, any say in US elections; we have an existentialist problem depending on the outcome of US elections.
We have a difficult time with PRC, Pak and other Jihadists worldwide; out to finish us off. The old Soviet Union is no more. Russia is at best lukewarm. Europe does not have the will or muscle even if they want to support or at lease stay neutral. We are left with no other option but to look for moral and material support from USA.
Today in USA we have two antagonists. One, most likely to win are open supporters of China, Pak and Jihadists. They are inimical to India and have has publicly given support to all three and condemned us where it matters. The other is making loud noises in our favor, but is unpredictable. The H1B visa problem does not affect the vast majority of Indians. Only the elite.
Therein lies our predicament. Like other countries, the leader of USA matters to their well being, but rightly have no say.
Seeing the support of Indians in general for Anti Trump forces, I cannot help but compare this situation to pre-WWII. We had European colonials plundering and doing much worse to us. They were in conflict mainly with the Germans and Japs. Neither had done us any harm throughout history, unlike the colonialists. The elected leader of the Congress, Netaji, took their help. But Gandhi and the losing faction of the Congress supported the criminals and India's enemies. The excuse was that the Germans / Japs were cruel. The fact is that the Germans came to India to learn and laid the foundations of modern Indology. Any opposing country will tell you that the other is cruel and are barbarians. My take is the Germans tried to colonize white people, unlike other civilized people, who colonized black and brown people. Colonizing white people was a strict No, No. The war was mainly on this point.
They will tell you about the treatment of Jews. All of Europe treated them very badly. Even as per Jewish history India was the only place where Jews lived in Peace! If Muslims in India had financed, aided and abetted Pakistan in any of our wars with them; I doubt if my countrymen would have treated them differently from the Germans treating Jews. The stories and propaganda of victors in war should not be swallowed whole. We should be wary of any story, when it is illegal to verify the story. Why did the victors jettison the Oregon plan and put the Jews in Palestine? They did not want Jews anywhere near the white man. It would have been fairer if the white man had put them in vacant lands which the white man had usurped from the Red Indians. Even part of Australia would have been a good solution. Every culture and nation has its own cock and bull stories. They should not impinge on others. By the same logic, all of us Indians can migrate a create a new nation in Central Asia / Hindu Khush.
India's Jews were treated well for 4000 years and were promised land and protection till the sun and moon exists. There were no recorded conflicts with the locals. Where are they now? The lure of the greenback has taken them to Israel, where they are treated not as well as those from SAfrica and Europe. The Indian Jewish experience torpedoes the theory that Israel was required for persecuted Jews. Compare contribution of the long standing Jewish community with the later migrant Parsis. Is there a comparison?
For Indians now, there is no need to look at other factors in US politics. All we have to do is look out for our own enlightened self interest, and maybe pray.
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