An indication of just how important India has become to the US can be found if you look at today's NY Times. The frontpaged photo-captioned story today is about Rahul Gandhi campaigning in the U.P. - which is not even a 'news-event', as it were, but more of a feature-article. Of course, the India-as-the-land-of-princes-and-consequently-snake-charmers motif runs through the story with the words 'heir apparent' and 'dynasty' popping up in the first paragraph itself and Rahul Gandhi referred to as 'Crown Prince' elsewhere in the article. I guess that the fairy-tale-packaging makes the story instantly appealing to American readers, but the analysis is astute enough. Certainly much better than some of our own newspapers who are exclusively and fanatically interested in sound-bytes to the exclusion of anything that a demented fifth-grader would consider sensible, or anything beyond.
Was it what - two years? - ago that this could not be even imagined? Wonder what's next....perhaps looking up the Los Angeles Times to find out whether phuchka sellers are still allowed on the Maidan? Thank God in Heaven, though, that Mamata hasn't made it to any Times except of India yet, though, and here's wishing that some things never happen. We must be allowed to keep our deepest embarassments as our darkest secrets from the rest of the world. Lest all the foreign investment, our only hope-in-hell-to-get-out-of-hell, decamps overnight.
Nothing in the NY Times about China, significantly enough. A prominent article entitled "Radical Pakistani cleric threatens suicide attacks in capital."
Portents of the future or wishful thinking? Time will tell, I guess, although you could try too, by clicking on the 'Post a Comment' link below.
Was it what - two years? - ago that this could not be even imagined? Wonder what's next....perhaps looking up the Los Angeles Times to find out whether phuchka sellers are still allowed on the Maidan? Thank God in Heaven, though, that Mamata hasn't made it to any Times except of India yet, though, and here's wishing that some things never happen. We must be allowed to keep our deepest embarassments as our darkest secrets from the rest of the world. Lest all the foreign investment, our only hope-in-hell-to-get-out-of-hell, decamps overnight.
Nothing in the NY Times about China, significantly enough. A prominent article entitled "Radical Pakistani cleric threatens suicide attacks in capital."
3 comments:
Expected a more Stephen Fry tone. The life and times of a gentleman-at-large would be more your style.
Auberon Waugh, perhaps?
Nice debut -hope it lasts long..
Well said.
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