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| India-Pakistan |
| What India Means To Me |
| 2006-02-26 |
| From a 2003 speech... "We will win the war on terrorism, and the United States and India will win it together - because we represent good, and terrorists are evil incarnate. God will make it so." By Ambassador ROBERT D BLACKWILL Ten days ago, I gave my final policy speech as US ambassador to India. Today, I shall share with you personal thoughts about how this country has shaped me during these past two years. Unlike Siddhartha, my meditations while preparing this address have not produced total Enlightenment. Unfortunately, Brahma and Saraswati, because of my own limitations, will not adequately inspire my remarks on this occasion with regard to my spiritual and intellectual advancement. I clearly need to spend more time at Brahma’s temple in Pushkar. And, despite my continuing contemplations, I am not always able to follow Krishna’s wise words, “Be thou of even mind.” He might have added, including at your Round Tables at Roosevelt House. Notwithstanding my many inadequacies and the persistence of Maya, the ever-present veil of illusion, please permit me to proceed since India is the great storyteller, and because I am soon leaving this amazing country. |
| Posted by:john |
| #7 I'm leaving for New Delhi early March for a three week trip. I'll be shooting hundreds of megabytes on the digital. If anyone is interested, I'll make the photos available. |
| Posted by: Vinkat Bala Subrumanian 2006-02-26 19:27 |
| #6 Ah, that got me all choked up - I spent five years as a kid there ('60-65). I remember going to the Ellora caves and being absolutely enthralled. And driving to Mysore on washed out dirt/mud roads right after the monsoon. And lots of other very unpleasant stuff that doesn't get montioned in the tourist brochures. Someday I will go back ... |
| Posted by: xbalanke 2006-02-26 18:38 |
| #5 his speech alone makes me want to visit India |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-02-26 15:56 |
| #4 Not your typical ambassador. The lack of influence of the islamophiles in the State Department probably helps... |
| Posted by: john 2006-02-26 15:45 |
| #3 Inspiring. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-02-26 14:56 |
| #2 The State Department was not too fond of him either. He went over their head repeatedly to Condi Rice and President Bush. |
| Posted by: john 2006-02-26 14:38 |
| #1 And I became more and more angry. Innocent human beings murdered as a systemic instrument of twisted political purpose. Needless to say, this did not make him very popular in Islamabad. |
| Posted by: john 2006-02-26 12:47 |