India’s Coming-Out Party

Dear Mr. Zakaria

I disagree that this election was any "Coming-out Party" for India. That moment is yet to arrive. I would agree that congress was probably most progressive in this round of election. But one can't forget the history of congress as the most non-progressive, corrupt party in India. There is a reason why India has developed regional parties. And one can't overlook the contribution BJP govt made during 1999 and 2003.

I must wholeheartely congratulate Mr. Zakaria for his rebuke to Winston Churchil who perhaps was one of the most racist SOBs who thoughts indians were uncivilized and unworthy of freedom and that the Indian nation would collapse in a matter of months if not years. But for Americans his own hind would have been on fire. Thank you Mr. Zakaria for not forgetting this bigot.

One must appreciate the clear thinking and visualization of Fareed Zakaria. With his past exposure to India and Indian Politics, he has analysed very well the shape of things to come for this great country-India. I have been maintaining since many years that voters of India are one of the smartest in this world. Their collective wisdom is reflected in each general election.
Now let us hope that the New Government in New Delhi fulfills its promises not only for common men and women of India but also plays a meanigful role in the affairs of the world

shrikant ashar

India's parliamentary democracy has failed to prove effective, and the country necessitates a switch to US style direct vote presidential government. For the present, we can seek solace in the fact that Congress's victory, has dealt a major blow to religious extremism within and outside our borders. I feel encouraged by the swearing-in of a largely untainted, competent council of ministers, and specially of the younger lot like Agatha Sangma and Sachin Pilot. However, there is still a long way to go before we truly break the backs of the various old boys' networks like the CPI, who are smarting from their humiliating defeat. The credit for which goes to Mrs Sonia Gandhi--the most sincere Indian leader after the Mahatma. She shunned the limelight when Rajiv was alive, and joined politics many years after much persuasion from Congress party leaders. Nor did her son display any political proclivity up until 2004. The man she picked for the PM's post has no personal ambitions like herself and together they have devoted their lives to public service. All this maybe a little too hard to conceive for cynical minds and is often times dubbed "calculative". Although I WOULD like PM Manmohan Singh to be more assertive and calculative while dealing with allies. The Congress-DMK imbroglio proved to be a real dampener. Allocating 7 or 8 berths to coalition partners with 18 MP's is nonsensical by all standards. I am none too pleased with the Finance portfolio for Pranab Mukherjee either, who is known to be left of centre. Perhaps a technocrat like Montek Singh would have likely been appropriate. Since the Congress has a clear mandate to carry out agressive economic reforms, a smaller government instead of the 80 odd ministries was in order. Ministries like Renewable energy, for instance, could be clubbed together with water resources and other departments. This type of streamlining and cost cutting is essential if we are to tackle issues such as poverty and the national debt. What India requires is a commitment from this newly elected government to introduce market-oriented approaches in all spheres of the Indian polity. Middle-class India has just recently begun to understand the power of choice. That choice alone leads to creativity. And free markets are best equipped to judge what works best for each individual. Be it food, cars, clothes or religion. It should be another decade or so before this concept can firmly take root in the Indian mindset.

Stable govt In India is crucial for development and that is good for India. But Having Cong which is so corrupted and always pushing for politics of Dynesty is not good for India. Manmohan Sigh doesn't have any real power as Sonia is the one who is having real power and not having any responsibility for failure. I wish BJP will shed its anti minority image and bring some charismatic leaders to the front to win in next elections.

zakaria's views, opinions and observation on india is wrong. indian people are more united and bigger power than equator or geographical india. indian people, philosophers and rekligious scholars and hindu gods and godesses have have given the world morals, religions and ethics, on which world is surviving inspite of nonacceptance and criticism of india and hindu religion. congress party is grand old party and the strongest., but in democratic india, other parties are also important to make india's grand old party even stronger. india is or was not dependent on churchill, india received inspiritation from vivekananda, gandhi, nehru of modern india but the same from ancient indian (hindu) leaders, spiritual, religious leaders and hindu gods and godesses. that is why india is a great country. india's poors are rich in culture, india's uneducated are morte educated than the educated people f other countries. if indian people become materially rich and materially educated india will be a super power power as long as they do not loose their culture. and civilization.

I must congratulate Newsweek on it's new look magazine. The magazine is absolutely fabulous.
On The Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, unfortunately, this party has had a history of differences with the Congress Party. The BJP has many persons who are very competent in administration and/or political matters. I may name Mr Arun Jaitley, Ms Sushma Swaraj, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad, and others. Unfortunately, the faction in power in Delhi, has always been the favourite whipping horse of the opposition. The party in power, has always seemed defensive, when parrying the many accusations thrown at them, by the opposition. The BJP, when they were in power, were very understated too, in their defense of their government's performance, even though in their perception, all was well, in the functioning of the government.. The Congress and the opposition, seem to be very abrasive, when they encounter each other, in the media. I expected Mr Advani to fare well in the elections, but there were no serious issues of mis-governance associated with the congress party and her allies. Where Mr Vajpayee's government was seen as driven towards development, Dr Singh's government was seen as a peaceful period for the government. This is my humble perception. Mr Vajpayee went to Agra, and put on track, the peace process between India and Pakistan. This was a risky endeavor for both India and Pakistan, and resulted in the Kargil war. New Delhi's exchanges with Islamabad, are more sedate, and less driven, with Dr Singh's government at the helm. Mr Rahul Gandhi seems an immensely likeable young man, who has great charisma. To be fair to Sir Churchill, India encompasses more than her drawn borders. If he felt that India encompasses thoughts and ideas pertaining to a global interest, then he was ultimately right. India may lead by her willingness to see the world as prosperous, as much as she would like to see herself. All the regional parties in India are important, but they must be important to the larger cause, as they are to regional causes.

Fareed Zakaria is a charismatic and articulate American who speaks positively and realistically of the United States and its place in the emerging world order of the 21st century. This is evident both in his speeches (the last one I attended was the Yale graduation ceremony a year ago) and articles (inter alia in Foreign Affairs and Newseek).

As such, he is neither a "slimy snake ... islamist gypsy" as harrylogy thinks (but clearly anyone who disagrees is a "stupid jerk", so what do we know) nor have I seen any evidence of a "gloating anti-Western bias."

Fareed Zakaria is a charismatic and articulate American who speaks positively and realistically of the United States and its place in the emerging world order of the 21st century. This is evident both in his speeches (the last one I attended was the Yale graduation ceremony a year ago) and articles (inter alia in Foreign Affairs and Newseek).

As such, he is neither a "slimy snake ... islamist gypsy" as harrylogy thinks (but clearly anyone who disagrees is a "stupid jerk", so what do we know) nor have I seen any evidence of a "gloating anti-Western bias."

Fareed Zakaria???s article ??? ???India???s Coming Of Age??? is quite on the mark. The one person who deserves the kudos and the accolades for where Congress is today, it???s Grand Dame, Sonia Gandhi. It took a foreigner, and a woman at that, to have the vision, the determination, the patience and the iron hand to steer Congress (and India) to a stage where the nation and the world is sitting up (finally!) and taking notice of what she (and India) is made of ??? sterner stuff. Surely, she did not waste her years of closeness to her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi. She observed and imbibed her strengths (strong will, determination, tact, iron hand at dealing with defectors and political tormentors alike, and above all, love for the country) and inculcated in her son, Rahul Gandhi, her mother-in-law???s ace strategy of going to the grassroots and connecting with the heartland, amongst other things. Of course, she brought in her own brand of class act and civility in conduct to the political table. Proof? The electorate threw its majority weight behind Congress and not the brash and loud mouth, Bhartiya Janata Party. Yes, Sonia is not in a hurry to get her son, Rahul, on centre stage ??? not even in the Cabinet as a Minister. Perhaps, at one level, Sonia is counting on the terror threats from across the border to wane completely in the coming 5 years before Rahul even considers joining the political elite in decision-making. And at another level, she has rightly calculated on Manmohan Singh and his team of experienced and loyal ministers to drive the country out of the economic mess the world and India are in currently. Smart thinking. This term too, Rahul plans to spread his infectious charm into every nook and corner of India so that when he really takes over as the PM, the nation and the world will be ready for his brand of politics. In the meantime, Manmohan Singh is the face of India. And well deserved at that. Kanan Divecha, Mumbai, India

There seems to be one consistent theme to Mr. Zakaria's articles: an almost ebullient, gloating anti-Western bias.

Zakaria is answerable to many Qs here : If congress is secular - Why the Congress won't even think of Common Civil Code ?
Why it won't abolish Article 357 - the root cause of Slaughter of Kashmiri Pandits and their vanished culture ? Why Afzal Guru won't be hanged till death as Ordered by Supreme Court of India ? Why there's no visible will and guts to honestly prob all those 50+ Bomb Blasts in Last 5 Years of their so-called Secular Rule and to punish the scum known as terrorists ? Why Huj Subsidies to Muslims whereas Hindus would be occasionally slaughter during Amarnath Yatra at will by terrorists ? It seems that this artical is written by the Hard Core Fundamentalist Muslim within Zakaria who can't see the simple fact : Mr. Manmohan is the Yes-Man of Italian Empress aka Sonia Gandhi and who would bear the throny crown when one can enjoy ALL the power of the Crown without any responsibility ? Wake up, Mr. Zakaria !!! Congress is neither secular nor efficient nor it has any will to fight to Terrorism for the sake of muslim votes !!! Congress Dynasty has made India a 3rd rate lamb nation !!!
- R Patel
Chicago, USA

MR ZAKARIA HAS ANALYSED THE POST ELECTION INDIA WELL . BUT THOSE WHO ARE COMMENTING ADVERSLY , OBVIOUSLY DISPLAY MERE SUPERFICIAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE. WHO WILL NOT A PROBLEM WITH MORE THAN A BILLION PEOPLE WEDDED TOGETHER AS A NATION .YET THE NATION HAS VOTED IN UNISON TO PROVIDE A GOVERNMENT WHO WILL PROVIDE A BETTER TOMMORROW TO ALL-REGARDLESS OF CASTE, RELIGION OR ETHNICITY!!! THE MONUMENTAL ELECTIONS , FAIR, FREE AND VOID OF GRIEVANCES HAS PROVED INDI'AS CREDENTIALS AS A MATURE AND STABLE DEMOCRACY.

What an attack on Hinduism ! How dare the writer insult and demonize Hindus and Jains who voted for the BJP. The Congress party is weak on national security and defending India from Pakistan. Congress will build more slaughterhouses because they have no respect for India's legacy of compassion for animals and vegetarianism.

India's "coming-out" party? Is this a joke?
Fareed, maybe you are originally from India, you obviously are not anymore. No Indian would have thought up such a title.
The entire article is pretentious and patronizing. It looks like only the congress party deserves fareed's approval. Does he really want democracy or single party rule?

Success has several stories. I think Zarkaria wrote this entire report based on search in the web. I don't think he has any clue of Indian elections, caste factor, religious factor, linguistic factor, and corruption to the highest scale. The reason Indians vote is not based on intelligence, but it was based on religion (in which muslims all voted for Cong-I; as Cong-I doesn't care for Hindus); caste (in which certain castes vote in big number to one party over the another. This time some caste got benefit at the cost of other castes); regional factors and above all corruption (in which voters, who don't have money for food, were given money). Cong -I is highly corrupt party and they have billions of dollars in Swiss Bank. Zarkaria forgot to enquite the recent request by German Government to India that Germany will release all blac-money that Cong-I leaders have it in the bank. But Indian Govt rejected their request and even informed Germany not to relase.

Hence Zarkaria, don't start telling stories. Have you ever visited India? If so, which place and when????

Sri (always_at_vacation@yahoo.com)

Success has several stories. I think Zarkaria wrote this entire report based on search in the web. I don't think he has any clue of Indian elections, caste factor, religious factor, linguistic factor, and corruption to the highest scale. The reason Indians vote is not based on intelligence, but it was based on religion (in which muslims all voted for Cong-I; as Cong-I doesn't care for Hindus); caste (in which certain castes vote in big number to one party over the another. This time some caste got benefit at the cost of other castes); regional factors and above all corruption (in which voters, who don't have money for food, were given money). Cong -I is highly corrupt party and they have billions of dollars in Swiss Bank. Zarkaria forgot to enquite the recent request by German Government to India that Germany will release all blac-money that Cong-I leaders have it in the bank. But Indian Govt rejected their request and even informed Germany not to relase.

Hence Zarkaria, don't start telling stories. Have you ever visited India? If so, which place and when????

Sri (always_at_vacation@yahoo.com)

The day some of the wise and moderate members of the Babri Masjid Action council okay the construction of the Ram Temple for the sake of harmony or a mass movement that includes all the religious and secular people come out with a suggestion to build a government hospital as a permanent solution, the BJP will become extinct. Since India is moving forward with progressive mind and the young generations are becoming more democrat and secular, such ideas cannot be called an utopian in the 21st century. So, if the BJP wants to stand as an alternative to the Congress, it cannot alienate any communities and their basic problems in principle. Our constitution guarantees us fundamental rights. At the same time, it prescribes our fundamental duties also. Uphold the constitution is one of our fundamental duties. Communalism, be it from majority or minority, is against of our founding principle.

For communists, to learn lessons from the mistakes is the good lesson. For that there is another lesson: to find what the mistakes are. The policy makers who are sitting in the ivory tower can have only a bird???s view. Even though the left had forced the earlier UPA government to adopt some people friendly programmes, they totally failed to implement the programmes in the West Bengal . The congress and the UPA allies took advantage from that in both Andhra and Bengal at the expense of the Left. The Left leaders have to ponder and be close to the common people. If some comrades still live in the hearts of people, it is because they had practiced principled life. They were known as people???s leaders. If the communists want to reinstate that quality, they cannot leave the common people in pathetic conditions. A leader cannot dictate now that ???all proletariats unite???. It is the strong strategy yielding to the people???s minds that unite every one. No one expect soft communalism from the communists. Imperialism and communalism should be resisted with equal vehemence. The UPA???s mandate is not an approval for the neo-liberalism. If there is no strong opposition, there will be no good governance. The responsibility begins now.

The UPA victory testifies to its stands on clear secularism and developmental aspirations to certain extent.. The empty slogans against imperialism and nuclear deal failed to dissuade the common man. Rahul factor played as a stimulant to prevent the young voters from apolitical trends. Modi behind L.K. Advani was a wrong equation and disrespect to judiciary. Varun Gandhis speech made a dent on its Muslim supporters. The mandate also backs the UPA to minimize post-election opportunism and horse trading for making a stable government. we hope the new government will be able to bring in prosperity for the poor in the next five years. Without uplifting the poor and downtrodden, the corporate India cannot shine. Prem Nizar,Riyad

Zakaria
Very good article, I always enjoy your view on Newsweek.
You are right, Great Churchill was wrong about India from its Inception.
But thing that Churchill missed his contemporary envision correctly. Some of the great quotes from them below.
Albert Einstein, American Scientist: We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made

Mark Twain, American Author: India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most astrictive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only!

So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked.
In religion, India is the only millionaire... the One land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.
William James, American Author: From the Vedas we learn a practical art of surgery, medicine, music, house building under which mechanized art is included. They are encyclopedia of every aspect of life, culture, religion, science, ethics, law, cosmology and meteorology.
Max Muller, German Scholar: If I were to look over the whole world to find out a country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty that nature can bestow ??? in some part a very paradise on earth ??? I should point to India.
There is no book in the world that is so thrilling, stirring and inspiring as the Upanishads." (???Sacred Books of the East)

Romain Rolland, French Philosopher: If there is one place on the face of this Earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest day when man began the dream of existence, it is India.
Hu Shih (Former Chinese Ambassador to USA):India conquered and dominated China for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across its border.

believe that your Govt takes this mandate constructively and joins hands with China to root out Islam (or atleast its fundamentalist tentacles) from both India and most importantly Uighur (East Turkestan). In the past, owing to unfortunate policies we have had to side with Pakistan, the prodigal failed state as many of you Indians call it. But time is ripe for change. Hope Beijing takes a cue and implements pro-democratic Indian-like reforms to give the power to people, where it rightfully belongs