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From: rama@ut-ngp.UUCP (rama)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.india
Subject: Re: Rajiv and the Media
Message-ID: <2605@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Nov-85 10:42:27 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.2605
Posted: Thu Nov 14 10:42:27 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Nov-85 20:43:06 EST
References: <1238@hpda.UUCP>
Organization: The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712
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Dilip, like you I am not gung ho for Rajiv; but then a lot of us on 
this net are not; one ofthe reasons why we tend to praise Rajiv is that
we are all hoping for a better India. 
Irrespective of whether we decide to stay here in this country or return to
India, we all have an attachment that is difficult to define.   That is
why, when we see small changes for the better, no matter how small,
we take joy in it, because given the way things have progressed since
independence, and particularly given the way Mrs. G behaved, Rajiv's
style has enough differences in it to give us some hope.  That is
all that we are doing, clutching at straws and hoping that something
will change.  There is no doubt that Rajiv has shown on several
ocassions similarities to his mother's style of functioning.
On the other hand, things have been moving forward; In contrast,
I can think of very little positive that happened during Mrs.G's
regime.  Our resentment of the dynastic rule must not necessarily
cloud our judgement; the same person is quite capable of good as
well as bad deeds, and the good thing about Rajiv is that he
has several positive accomplishments to his credit apart from
the not so pleasant ones.
To consider the U.S.S.R. issue, there are two reasons why he is
likely to continue the old stance.  Russian foreign policy towards
India has been much more pragmatic than that of the U.S.
The Russians, in my opinion, realised that they could not find
a surrogate in India, soon went about doing their best to woo
India, and have attempted to convey the impression that India and
the Soviet Union are two friends, with equal stature.  They have
their words with action in the sense that they have backed India
on almost every ocassion in international bodies.  This doesn't
necessarily mean that they are in love with India and that they
indeed believe in us as an equal power.  What it does mean is that
they realise the strategic importance of an ally like India, openly
behave as if we were equal and close friends, and back up their
action with words.  The U.S., on the other hand, did not find much
of a role for India, once the possibility of opening U.S. bases in
India fizzled out.  Their approach to the third world has typically
been on of nurturing relationships only to set bases up.  Was Shah
Reza Pehlavi very democratic?  Is Marcos a great human rights champion?
Aquino was killed on the steps of the plane and was there a huge
outcry?  Are the repeated calls and warnings to Marcos to cal for
general elections purely in the interest of letting the Phillipinos
decide their own future?  Or could it be that Iran is only too
close in peoples memories?  Thus, it is no surprise that India has
typically been more pro-Soviet.   Mrs. G was both pro-soviet and 
generally anti-U.S.  Rajiv is still keeping with a large part of the
pro-soviet stance, but I am not so sure that he is anti-American.
In closing, I'd like to point out that :
a)  My comments about the Soviets and the Americans referred to
political attitudes in the top decision making bodies of those
two nations, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the common
man.
b) American domestic and foreign policies, in terms of what they
will tolerate in their own nation and what they will abet or allow
in other nations are often very far apart.  Because of the nature of
the media and its focus, Americans are by and far insulated from
what goes on outside the borders, and hence see very little of actual
functioning of foreign policy of their own and of other countries.
c) It is possible that Rajiv may end doing more good than bad.
We have to give him some time; we can't just give a dog a bad name
and hang him.                                   
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