Clinton bones up on `Indiana', from Basham to Arundhati

Clinton bones up on `Indiana', from Basham to Arundhati
CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA

WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 24: The Clinton White House is bustling with action over the President's India trip. Briefs, papers, books, and even movies relating to India are flying in and out of the White House as the administration grapples with what is said to be ``the biggest Presidential trip with the least lead-in time.''

US officials say normally a Presidential trip is planned and readied months, and even up to a year, in advance. But circumstances have given the administration only weeks to prepare for this trip.

The President himself has been boning up on ``Indiana'', readingeverything from A L Basham to Arundhati Roy, from a list furnished byhis India experts. A voracious reader, he also picked up on his ownbooks on India last year, including Salman Rushdie's fiction andStanley Wolpert's history.

Also on his list of ``things to do for the India trip'' is to watch abunch of Indian movies, including controversial director DeepaMehta's Earth, a copy of which has been sent to him by South Asiabureau's Rick Inderfurth. The White House has a private full-screenmovie hall and the President is a great film buff (he recently namedthe 8 Oscars-nominated American Beauty as his latest favouritemovie).

Meanwhile, the White House began to engage the increasinglyinfluential Indian-American community to ascertain its views on theagenda for the trip. Some 20 top community leaders trooped into theWhite House at noon on Thursday for a pow-wow with the President'sadvisors, even as South Asian policy wonks deliberated on the trip ata nearby think tank.

The community leaders, including some heavyweight Silicon Valleytypes, have been invited to offer their perspective of Indo-US tiesand what needs to be done to further upgrade the relations.

``Personally, I feel, and I am going to say, the United States shouldback India for a seat in the UN Security Council if they want to liftties between the two largest democracies. I mean, where's the beef?''Narpat Bhandari, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist told The IndianExpress, before heading out to the noon meeting.

Others are expected to raise the question of technology transfer andthe choking of World Bank loans to India.

Over the last decade, Indian Americans have become increasinglyinfluential in the United States, a fact publicly recognised by thePresident himself several times during his second term. Indians haveworked in the cutting edge of technology, helping develop everythingfrom microprocessor (by Narpat Bhandari) to the Pentium chip (byVinod Dham).

Though not as high-profile as Jewish-Americans or Irish-Americans,Indian Americans have also become politically more active and savvy.East Coast Indians like Ramesh Kapur and Swadesh Chatterjee areactive in Democratic politics. Bhandari himself, now an angelinvestor for young Indian techies, backed California politician GrayDavis to the Senate.

Clinton has also come to personally recognise the spectacular academic achievements and credentials of young Indians in the United States, thanks in part to the increasing frequency with which they are now working on the Hill and the White House. His press office has an Indian-American, Nanda Chitre, working as a deputy to Joe Lockhart, while the Congress has at least a dozen Indian-American staffers.

But never before has the community parlayed its rising influence togive a shot in the arm to political and diplomatic ties between thecountries. Although, Indian-Americans are not expected to be on thePresidential jamboree to India because of the logistical complications a stopover in Pakistan may involve, they are certainly having their say here and now.