In today's world, it is rare to find a leader who combines the qualities of idealism and pragmatism, confidence and humility. In you, Mr. Prime Minister, we find such a leader.
As a poet, you have inspired the imagination of your people with your eloquence. As Prime Minister, you have challenged your people to act on their imagination, to create a shared vision for a united, democratic, prosperous and peaceful India, and then to make that vision a reality. You are truly a leader in both word and deed.
President John Kennedy once said, in our country, "If more politicians knew poetry, and more poets knew politics, I am convinced the world would be a little better place to live." I cannot translate that into Hindi, but Mr. Prime Minister, you embody President Kennedy's words. You know both poetry and politics, and through your inspired leadership, you are indeed making the world a better place to live.
In your poem Oonchai -- or "height" in English -- you speak of the importance of not losing touch with humanity as one rises in life. Your poem ends with a stirring line, which I would like to quote: "Never let me climb so high that I cannot bend down to embrace another human." You have dedicated your life to this noble ambition.
I am confident that India is destined for great heights. One of the World's great civilizations, India has emerged, of course, as one of it's great democracies. India's history has been turbulent at times. But your nation is on the way to overcoming these challenges by embracing change, uniting all, and setting a course for the future.
Ref:
http://www.indianembassy.org/indusrel/pm_us_2000/gore_pm_september_15_2000.htm
This interesting speech highlights one thing. Vajpayee had changed the mindset of US about India. It was reflected in the speech. Sometimes, any reader might wonder and say - "Nothing unusual about this. US does appreciate and respect and gives warm welcome of this kind if it wants to pursue diplomatic relationships. "
My reply to such a statement is that one could not have imagined that US could do such a complete U-turn in a span of 2 years. It is not possible to convince big powers to speak so much about our country and its people (in a positive manner) just to smoothen relationships. Why should US care anyways about this courtesy? They could have simply conducted a bilateral meeting and announced the change of relationships. They made it a gala event because they became genuinely interested in having diplomatic interest. It cannot be denied that the Indian lobby in US also played a great role. However, Vajpayee had given a midas touch. It worked. In fact, click here. This article says how Clinton immediately lifted sanctions within couple of months of talks with Jaswant Singh. It is a really a miracle for an ordinary citizen, but a small task for two big speakers - Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh.
Some critics may even argue that US wanted someone in Asia to counterweight China and so chose India. This is true but not the major factor that heralded a new wave of positiveness in the 2 largest democracies. Indian lobbies have been pressing for stronger relationships with India since 1995. But, US was not serious until Kargil war happened and Jaswant Singh had around 14 round of talks.
As a poet, you have inspired the imagination of your people with your eloquence. As Prime Minister, you have challenged your people to act on their imagination, to create a shared vision for a united, democratic, prosperous and peaceful India, and then to make that vision a reality. You are truly a leader in both word and deed.
President John Kennedy once said, in our country, "If more politicians knew poetry, and more poets knew politics, I am convinced the world would be a little better place to live." I cannot translate that into Hindi, but Mr. Prime Minister, you embody President Kennedy's words. You know both poetry and politics, and through your inspired leadership, you are indeed making the world a better place to live.
In your poem Oonchai -- or "height" in English -- you speak of the importance of not losing touch with humanity as one rises in life. Your poem ends with a stirring line, which I would like to quote: "Never let me climb so high that I cannot bend down to embrace another human." You have dedicated your life to this noble ambition.
I am confident that India is destined for great heights. One of the World's great civilizations, India has emerged, of course, as one of it's great democracies. India's history has been turbulent at times. But your nation is on the way to overcoming these challenges by embracing change, uniting all, and setting a course for the future.
Ref:
http://www.indianembassy.org/indusrel/pm_us_2000/gore_pm_september_15_2000.htm
This interesting speech highlights one thing. Vajpayee had changed the mindset of US about India. It was reflected in the speech. Sometimes, any reader might wonder and say - "Nothing unusual about this. US does appreciate and respect and gives warm welcome of this kind if it wants to pursue diplomatic relationships. "
My reply to such a statement is that one could not have imagined that US could do such a complete U-turn in a span of 2 years. It is not possible to convince big powers to speak so much about our country and its people (in a positive manner) just to smoothen relationships. Why should US care anyways about this courtesy? They could have simply conducted a bilateral meeting and announced the change of relationships. They made it a gala event because they became genuinely interested in having diplomatic interest. It cannot be denied that the Indian lobby in US also played a great role. However, Vajpayee had given a midas touch. It worked. In fact, click here. This article says how Clinton immediately lifted sanctions within couple of months of talks with Jaswant Singh. It is a really a miracle for an ordinary citizen, but a small task for two big speakers - Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh.
Some critics may even argue that US wanted someone in Asia to counterweight China and so chose India. This is true but not the major factor that heralded a new wave of positiveness in the 2 largest democracies. Indian lobbies have been pressing for stronger relationships with India since 1995. But, US was not serious until Kargil war happened and Jaswant Singh had around 14 round of talks.
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