U.S.A.
October 6, 2014
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 7
Obama hosts India’s Modi for White House visit
WARMING UP RELATIONS. Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi gives a speech during a re-
ception by the Indian community in honor of his visit
to the United States at Madison Square Garden in
New York City. Thousands of Indian Americans flocked
to Madison Square Garden for a rare chance to see
the new leader of the world’s largest democracy.
(AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
relationship has been rockier, with
Washington frustrated by India’s failure
to open its economy to more foreign
investment and address complaints over
intellectual property violations.
A landmark civil nuclear agreement
exists between the two countries, but
Indian liability legislation has kept U.S.
companies from capitalizing on the deal.
Further fraying relations was the arrest
and strip search last year in New York of
an Indian diplomat on visa fraud charges.
A major aspect of last week’s visit was
the chance for Obama and Modi to begin
building rapport, administration officials
said. Obama was among the first western
leaders to telephone Modi with con-
gratulations after his Hindu nationalist
Bharatiya Janata Party swept into power
after May’s landslide vote.
The visit also is a victory lap of sorts for
Modi, a former tea seller.
“He’s gone in just a matter of a few
months from persona non grata to person
of honor to be received warmly in the Oval
Office,” said Milan Vaishnav, who studies
South Asia at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, a Washington think
tank.
Associated Press writers Muneeza Naqvi
in New Delhi and Matthew Pennington in
New York contributed to this report.
By Josh Lederman and
Darlene Superville
The Associated Press
ASHINGTON — Once shunned
by the United States, Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
rode a wave of enthusiasm and popular
support to the White House, where he
kicked off a two-day visit with President
Barack Obama. The two leaders sought to
put a brave face on the relationship despite
widespread concerns that U.S.-India ties
have frayed in recent years.
Modi’s visit started with a private
dinner with Obama on September 29, the
day after thousands of Indian Americans
flocked to New York’s Madison Square
Garden for a rare chance to see the new
leader of the world’s largest democracy.
The dazzling Bollywood-style dancers and
dozens of U.S. lawmakers that took part in
that event highlighted the rock star
welcome Modi enjoyed on his first official
visit to the U.S. since being elected in
May.
It wasn’t always so. When Modi
requested a visa to visit the United States
nearly a decade ago, Washington said no.
That rejection came three years after
religious riots killed more than 1,000
Muslims in the state of Gujarat, where
Modi was the top elected official.
Another potential wrinkle in Modi’s
visit: A human-rights group is offering
$10,000 to anyone who can serve Modi
with a summons issued by a federal court
in New York to respond to a lawsuit the
group filed accusing him of serious abuses.
The lawsuit is on behalf of two unnamed
survivors of the violence.
Modi has denied involvement in the
violence and India’s Supreme Court has
said there was no case to bring against
him. As a head of state, Modi has
immunity from lawsuits in U.S. courts.
And White House officials said they
W
doubted the issue would cloud the visit.
“Whether it’s security and counter-
terrorism or strengthening the economy or
a host of other regional issues, there is a
broad framework where India and the U.S.
work closely together to advance our
shared interests,” said White House
spokesman Josh Earnest.
Obama and Modi broke the ice over
dinner as they sought to reinvigorate
soured relations between the countries.
There was one small issue: Modi is
fasting to honor the Hindu goddess Durga
and is consuming only water or lemon-
flavored water. The White House said
Modi’s dietary needs were accommodated,
but offered no details.
Obama’s courtship of Modi continued
the next day with an Oval Office meeting,
marking a rare second day of attention
from Obama.
During the talks, Obama and Modi
focused on economic growth and
cooperation on security, clean energy,
q
Goodbye 300? World Bowling eyes radical changes
Continued from page 2
climaxes.”
Hoffman said the changes would likely
face the most opposition from the 10 or 15
players who are at the top of the world
standings, since the system is working for
them the way it is. But he added that he
thinks major changes are required to
attract spectators and sponsors and win
the backing of the International Olympic
Committee.
“I think we will see change,” he said. “I
think the industry in general knows the
need for change so that we are more
relevant on popular culture again.”
Mike Seymour, an Australian who is the
World Tenpin Bowling Association’s vice
president, said a working group is
scheduled to make four or five proposals at
an executive board meeting in December
in Abu Dhabi.
Seymour said top-level bowling could
q
Mary Kom draws crowds
even in faraway venues
Continued from page 3
that I have. I’m also clear about one fact —
never take anyone lightly. In boxing, one
loss means you are out, so every bout has to
be taken seriously,” she added.
Shagun Saxena, 31, who was among the
many Indian expatriates at the Seonhak
Stadium, shouted “We love you Mary” as
the boxer fought it out in the ring.
“There are other Indian boxers too, who
are good too,” said Saxena. “But I loved the
movie made on her and feel her popularity
has increased several-fold after that.
We’ve all come here to see her.”
Editor’s note: Mary Kom won the boxing
gold medal at the competition in Incheon.
soon start to look more like tennis. With
each game shorter, finals could be played
in a best-out-of-three format. But he
acknowledged that, even for supporters of
the overhaul, letting go of the magical 300
is hard to imagine.
“Maybe for the average league-type
player a few more years down the track, if
the 30-point strike system has been
established and proven, that might take
over,” he said. “I don’t like banishing the
old 300. I’m a traditionalist and I’ve been
around for a long time in this sport. I can’t
see it being banished forever, maybe just a
change at the top end.”
climate change, and other issues, the
White House said. They also addressed
regional concerns, including Afghanistan,
where the U.S. is wrapping up its 13-year
military involvement, and Syria and Iraq,
where the U.S. is ramping up its military
engagement as Obama builds an inter-
national coalition to target Islamic State
militants operating in both countries.
Obama visited India in 2010 and held up
the U.S.-India relationship as the “defin-
ing partnership” of the 21st century. But
the relationship has been lukewarm at
best.
While military cooperation and U.S.
defense sales have grown, the economic
q
PM Modi proposes International Yoga Day
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — India’s
prime minister is proposing a new addition
to the lengthy list of annual U.N.
observances: World Yoga Day.
In his speech to the U.N. General As-
sembly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
extolled the therapeutic powers of yoga
and said it could help tackle global
problems.
Modi told delegates that yoga could
“bring a change in our lifestyle and create
awareness in us, and it can help in fighting
against climate change.”
The Indian leader has a reputation as an
ascetic. He was in the midst of a nine-day
fast dedicated to the Hindu goddess
Durga.
The U.N. already has 118 awareness-
raising days of observance.
September 27 was World Tourism Day.
Among others in the calendar: the
International Day of Happiness, World
Soil Day, International Mother Earth Day,
and International Jazz Day.
TALKING STORY IN
ASIAN AMERICA
n Polo
Polo’s “Talking Story”
column will return soon.
q
On this tennis court, a
different kind of love game
Continued from page 6
my serve, but that was the last thing I was
thinking about. Everyone on our court
turned to watch what was happening on
the other court, and they started cheering
on Ethan and Savannah, too.
I was watching a group of grown men
cheer on kids they had never met before,
giving up their time to give these kids a
chance to play — and they relished every
moment of it. Needless to say, I was more
than a little choked up.
After the match, after I was packed up
and ready to go, I turned to the group and
said, “Thanks, guys, for doing that. I tried
teaching them how to play tennis, but they
never seemed interested. I can’t tell you
how much I appreciate what you just
did.”
They smiled and said it was nothing. But
they’re wrong. It wasn’t nothing. For me,
what I saw that night — well, it just meant
everything.
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