Opinion Hello and Welcome,Mr Obama

Tea Party: As you know only too well,this means a collection of people who are passionately for or against some things,who just love to get together and tell the country where it’s going wrong and who are bravely prepared to push the boundaries of public speaking in achieving that aim. If you see on Indian news TV a collection of passionate people and should you hear one of them claim India is a superpower,that would be an example of news TV’s Tea Party avatar. It’s like you being called a communist by your country’s real Tea Partiers. Incidentally,the many,many communists we still have in our country are terribly confused at you being called a communist. And that applies especially to those among them who think all American presidents are imperialists.

Yes,we can: Remember that one? You will find resonance of that spirit were you to catch a news TV show where the anchor is mingling with members of the studio audience,and there’s considerable emotion as almost everyone agrees that yes,we can fix this or that problem. There’s,just as it used to be for you,a lot of clapping.

Gridlock: We are told you will see a lot of this when you go back to Washington. Catch a news TV version of it by watching an assertive anchor and a reluctant reporter locked in a conversation like this: Anchor asks,so can we conclude that the Obama visit has left the Indian side disappointed? Reporter replies,well foreign ministry sources are telling us that quite a bit of progress has been achieved on key issues. Anchor replies,so we can’t call the visit a success. Reporter replies,well both sides are aware that certain issues will take time,that’s what foreign ministry sources are telling us. Then the anchor uses a veto,just as you may,and says,so it’s clear that the visit wasn’t a success,and wraps ups the chat.

Who is our Obama?: Yes,I know Republicans,and not just the Tea Partiers among them,are asking this question. And you are presumably not exactly chuffed. But you can have a pleasant time watching the news TV avatar of this here. It’s innocent,really. Anchors ask who is our Obama,emphasising all the good things in you,and experts give various answers. Nitish Kumar has been named as a possible candidate. Nitish who,you want to ask but are too well-mannered to voice the question. He is,just as you are,an interesting politician situated in a complex social narrative. He may win a second term; the election is on. But of course,you should be comforted by the fact that no matter what happens to you,Fox News won’t ask,who’s our Nitish? Also,don’t be worried if you hear someone on news TV here say “our Nikki Haley”. That’s not a news TV endorsement of Republican policies.

One final word: Your admiration for Mahatma’s Gandhi’s ideals is well-known; and while in Mumbai you may want to charm your audience by using the Hindi equivalent of “ideals”,which is adarsh. Don’t. Especially with news cameras around you. It’s too complicated to explain,but adarsh signifies something entirely different in Mumbai now. Let’s put it this way,you live in a beautiful house,you don’t want to get embroiled in a controversy about four-bedroom apartments overlooking army ammunition depots.

saubhik.chakrabarti@expressindia.com