An Indian Perpsective on America's New Direction on Foreign Policy

Dear Gentle Readers:

In a previous post I shared with you the thoughts of my aunt, Shubha Singh.  As a journalist in India, she has a unique perspective on America and our politics.  I thought I would share her recent article discussing her thoughts on the new direction America's foreign policy should be heading. Enjoy.

New Priorities for American Foreign Policy by Shubha Singh

 

President Barack Obama’s promise of change not only caught the imagination of people worldwide but also raised expectations around the world. The American President’s inaugural speech set the tone for change in US foreign policy when he spoke of reaching out to adversaries. There is now great interest in how the Obama Administration plans to reshape American foreign policy to emphasise cooperation with other countries as well as rebuild the American image abroad.  

 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s first foreign visit was to Asia and not to Europe, the usual destination for new secretaries of state -- that was a change in itself which indicated a greater emphasis on Asia. President Obama himself chose Canada for his first foreign visit. 

 

There are four main areas where new American initiatives are required - Russia, the Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. India has a deep interest in the wide arc encompassing each of these areas. President Obama has listed Afghanistan as a top priority, and both Russia and Iran have a role to play in Afghanistan. US-Russian relations have been frosty ever since Georgia’s misadventure over Abhkazia and South Ossetia and improved US-Russia relations will be an important factor for global stability.

 

The first annunciation of President Obama’s foreign policy came in Vice President Joe Biden’s speech at the influential Munich Security Conference. Vice president Biden said that it was “time to press the reset button and revisit the many areas where we can and should be working together with Russia.” Restoring strained relations is not exactly an easy task when there is years of suspicions fuelled by bitter rivalry, but both sides have an opportunity to seek a better relationship. With the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, the US will require greater cooperation with other nations, including Russia to deal with the Taliban upsurge and to curtail the illicit narcotics trade.

 

Washington plans to send an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan. About 80 per cent of the NATO supplies are routed through Pakistan, but this supply route has been under threat from the Taliban in Pakistan who have been burning down trucks filled with supplies. There is now an urgent need to locate new access routes through Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has already called for the closure of the US military base in Manas, which was being used to fly in supplies to Afghanistan. Russia is well connected to the Central Asian republics through a good rail-road network developed during the Soviet days from Russia through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan Uzbekistan to Afghanistan. Spain and Germany have already used that route to move supplies to their troops in Afghanistan. Washington would need Russian cooperation for an access route through the Central Asian republics even if it decides to move supplies through Georgia instead of Russia.  

 

Iran has a role in two neighbouring countries, Iraq and Afghanistan. American overtures to Iran have received waspish responses from Iran’s President Ahmedinejad, but there is also a glimmer of an opening under the Iranian leader’s rhetoric. Iran is to hold presidential elections in June and President Ahmedinejad would need to take domestic opinion into account in the next few months. The Washington-Teheran war of words had become a matter of national dignity in Iran; if the wordy spats are toned down the majority of Iranians would want peaceful relations with America. Cutting out the raw threats that used to emanate from Washington during the Bush era and reaching out to the Iranian government would open the way for a dialogue. Washington has worked together with Iran even while maintaining a distance - during the worst days of the insurgency in Iraq when the US-led occupation forces had sought Iran’s cooperation to reduce the sectarian violence in Iraq.

 

The situation in the Middle East has become more volatile with the recent election in Israel which brought a more rightwing colour to its Parliament. The Israeli attack on Gaza had inflamed passions in not just the Muslim world, but had evoked wide spread outrage and anger around the world at the cruel shelling of civilian homes in Gaza. It is the US all-embracing support for Israeli actions that has sent waves of anti-Americanism through parts of Asia. The continuing growth of new Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, the destruction of the Palestine administration’s European Union funded infrastructure thereby whittling down the influence of the moderate Fateh group, the refusal to recognise the result of fair elections which brought the Hamas to victory have all added to the anti-American feelings in the region. Even in India, where the George W Bush presidency was seen in a positive light because of the Indo-US agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation, the bombing of Gaza resulted in angry Indian groups holding street demonstrations in protest.   

 

Special representatives have been appointed for two regions, George Mitchell for the Middle East and Richard C Holbrooke for Afghanistan-Pakistan. President Obama told an Arab television channel that Mitchell’s brief was to ‘listen’ while on his first tour to the Middle East. George Mitchell would do well to listen while the new government is being constituted in Israel, but the push to get the Israelis and the Hamas into a dialogue should not be delayed.

 

After months of denial and obfuscation, Pakistan has finally admitted that the Mumbai attacks were at least partly plotted on its territory and said that it had arrested most of those it believed were responsible. In compelling Pakistan's response to the Mumbai terrorist attack, Washington has ensured that the crisis in the subcontinent doesn't escalate. But the agreement to buy peace with the radical group in Swat to enforce Sharia law has shown how parts of Pakistan are slowly sliding into the grip of the fundamentalists.

 

There is an aura of goodwill surrounding President Obama; he has made the initial moves for setting the agenda for a change in the way America’s foreign policy was conducted during the last eight years.  There is optimism in many parts of the world that he will make the effort to bring about a real change that would help to refurbish the American image around the world.

Obama-The World's President

Pictured: A proud Obama supporter in South Africa.

It is amazing the change that has occurred over the past year in people's perception of the United States.  When I started the journey most people would cautiously ask me about President George Bush and what I thought about him.  They didn't want to offend me but they wanted to let me know their thoughts.  It was surprising the sheer number of people who had negative opinions about him and our foreign policy.  They were not shy sharing their thoughts about the Iraq War, Guantanamo Bay and our use of torture.  Over time the economy was added to their list of concerns when we talked about America.  I didn't realize until I was on the road what a strong symbol Guantanamo Bay and torture were to the world.  So many people look up to America to be the standard bearer for justice and civil liberties and those two issues were a stark departure of what America had stood for over the years. 

In all of the countries I visited, people wanted to talk about the campaign.  They felt that they had a vested interest in the outcome because of the power the US has in the world.  I was surprised by the number of times people said that the rest of the world should have a vote in our elections because of our influence.  I watched one of the Presidential debates huddled around a small TV with the staff of my hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia.  Another debate was watched with an international group of hikers in a tea house in the Himalayas.  They knew the issues and had strong opinions on what they saw.

Pictured: After watching the inauguration speech in Ficksburg, South Africa, I gave this man my Barack Obama shirt.  He had tears in his eyes as he told me about the hope he had for the US.

With only a handful of exceptions, people thought Barack Obama was best suited to put America back in good standing with the world.  After the election, people in India would thank me as if I had something to do with it.  There was a sense of hope and optimism in their voices. In Indonesia and South Africa, the first thing people say after I tell them I am an American is "Obama" with a smile.  People seek me out and want to talk about him.  My Rwandan cab driver told me he took the evening off to watch the speech and news coverage. You see people in the streets of these countries wearing his shirts and hanging signs in their businesses. 

Last night, I was having drinks with two former national cricket players in Cape Town. One white and one black.  They both said that watching the inauguration speech reminded them of when Nelson Mandela spoke to this country so many years back. I had shivers as they talked about the changes in South Africa and great pride that they felt the same about the election of our President.

I doubt people at home realize know how much this election has meant to the people that I have come across over the past few months.  People from other countries feel that the American voters have validated their concerns. That we voted with the world's interest at heart.  The election of Barack Obama is a symbol for the rest of the world.  It is a symbol of our ideals.  It is a symbol for change.  It is a symbol for tolerance.  It is a symbol for racial reconciliation. There are so many different ways that people people have individually internalized the historic event.

It has been an incredible few months watching the changes in the types of conversations people want to have with me. It has been fun.  Though there is a lot of work to be done by our new President, we are headed in the right direction.  Just ask anyone in the streets of any country. 

Pictured: Our waiter in Indonesia was so excited that we were Americans and told us how much he loved Obama.  We each pitched in two dollars and bought him this Obama shirt which he proudly put on.

Hanging with the Family

My Father’s Village

Pictured: Me hanging out at the village with the next generation.

One day my father and I made a day trip to my father's village to visit his side of the family.  I had not been back to the village since the passing of my Dada (grandfather) over a decade ago.  The village has changed over the years since my first visit in the 70's.  It is becoming much more modern.  Spending time in the village always gives me a great appreciation for the challenges my father must have faced as he worked his way from the village to a successful career as an engineer in the United States at Ford Motor Company.  It is an incredible journey of determination and dedication.

As we sat in one of the common areas, I met for the first time in a long time many of my uncles and aunts.  Initially, we discussed my career and my trip around the world.  The conversation quickly turned to politics and the amazing part it was American politics.  One of my uncles was critical of Obama's keeping Secretary Robert Gates as Defense Secretary.  He couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t kick everyone out from the previous administration as it is done India.  It didn't matter that we were in a farming village; they were still paying attention to the politics of America.  I silently wondered, how many of my fellow American citizens were even aware of that appointment.

I will admit it is hard to relate to this part of my family because of the language barrier. Most of my father's generation doesn’t know English.  On the other hand, my generation of cousins understands English, though they were somewhat hesitant to use it because they didn’t want to make any mistakes in front of me.  But as I told them, there was no reason to be embarrassed because their English was ten times better than my Hindi.   They took me through the sugar cane fields and the newer areas of the village. I was a little bit of a novelty for them. They proudly introduced me as their American cousin as we walked through the village.  At times, I would be introduced to relatives I didn't remember or who hadn't been born prior to my last visit.   I am glad that I had the opportunity to go there during this trip because it is a great reminder of my roots.

Going Out With My Cousins
Pictured: Me and my cousins- Ishan, Addie and Mayank.

At two different times during my time in India, I had the opportunity to separately go out on the town with  my cousins, Ishan and Mayank.  I went out with Ishan early in the trip.  Ishan and I are only a few years apart and he took me to his friend's bar.  As we walked through the crowded bar, Ishan was stopped by many people he knew.  We were in his territory and it was fun meeting his friends.  About thirty minutes later, a random guy approached me and asked if I was in Salzburg during the EuroCup matches this past summer.  He had remembered me because we had watched one of the matches together four months earlier. I did like the fact that, though we were at one of Ishan’s hangouts, there was at least one person who knew who I was and not him.  Here is to another small world experience!

My other cousin, Mayank, took me out one night with one of his close friends.  We had started the night with his father and mine at the local neighborhood club.  Many of the more upscale neighborhoods in New Delhi have their own "country club style" gathering place for the residents.  After some light snacks, drinks and conversation, we left our fathers and went to an area that had a few bars.  We stopped by a few places but Mayank and his friend were not feeling the right vibe.  They then said they would take me to a place that was more happening.  They ended up taking me to TGI Fridays.  Yes, the American-based, TGI Fridays.  I will admit the place was packed but I was still in a TGI Fridays. When I looked around I could have easily been in Michigan than in New Delhi. The layout was the same and the Indian wait staff had the sufficient number of pieces of flair on their uniforms.  I still chuckle that the happening place in this New Delhi bar district that night was an American chain restaurant. 

Book Review

One of the best books that I have read this past month was the The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. I had read a review of the book in Nepal because it recently had been awarded the prestigious Booker Award.  My Mausi (aunt) had a copy and I finished it in a few days.  There is great debate in India whether the book gives an unrealistic view of India and would be misleading to readers outside of the country.  The book should not be taken as an accurate portrayal of day to day life in India but rather one should enjoy the witty writing and insights that the author provides.  It is a satire that will have you laughing throughout the read.

The Man Booker Award website had this brief synopsis on their website:

Born in a village in heartland India, the son of a rickshaw puller, Balram is taken out of school by his family and put to work in a teashop. As he crushes coals and wipes tables, he nurses a dream of escape - of breaking away from the banks of Mother Ganga, into whose depths have seeped the remains of a hundred generations.

The White Tiger is a tale of two Indias. Balram's journey from darkness of village life to the light of entrepreneurial success is utterly amoral, brilliantly irreverent, deeply endearing and altogether unforgettable.

Terror in Mumbai- Two Weeks After the Attacks

As Mumbai slowly recovers from the recent terrorist attacks, I have been reflecting on the long term impact it will have on the country both on a national and international perspective.   The initial shock wore off quickly and was followed by angry questions and accusations. All of the initial intelligence and the testimony of the lone captured terrorist points the finger to terrorist groups based in Pakistan.  The pressure to strongly respond to the attacks are high and are coming from all areas including citizens, politicians and the media.  Though they haven't taken it off the table as an option in the future, India has shown great constraint by not mobilizing a military response to the attacks.  Instead, India has strongly demanded that Pakistan turn over suspected terrorist and strongly deal with suspected camps in their country.  Secretary State Rice echoed those sentiments in her meetings with the Pakistani leadership last week. 

The government has been transparent in its initial assessments.  They have openly acknowledged lapses in intelligence and their lack of readiness of an attack of this nature.  There have been high profile resignations both on the national and state level.  The national Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, said he accepted the "moral responsibility" of the terror attacks as he submitted his resignation.  The Home Minister overseas all of the national security forces and intelligence agencies of the Indian government. The government is currently looking at ways to ramp up appropriate spending in a number of areas to bolster intelligence gathering, military response and local law enforcement resources.

The attacks coincided with a series of local and state elections.  A major opposition party, the BJP, utilized the attacks as a rallying call to change leadership accusing them of being ineffective in fighting terrorism. There was great fear that these attacks would increase tension between Hindus and Muslims in the country. The BJP is a conservative fundamentalist party that has utilized religion as a wedge in the past to gain power. The BJP held power in India in 1998 for six years until losing it in 2004 to the current coalition government led by the Congress party.    After the 2001 terrorist attack on the parliament in India, the BJP led government mobilized the Indian military on the Pakistan border.  The world held its breath as India and Pakistan spent many tense months in 2002 on the verge of war.  To the credit of the electorate they did not vote to remove the Congress majorities in three of five provincial elections.  People gave the current government a wait and see approach.  The national elections will take place in the spring of 2009 and if the electorate doesn't feel the current leadership has adequately addressed this crisis and prepared for future attacks then the results will most likely be different.

My Mausi (aunt), Shubha Singh, is a free lance journalist and wrote this piece last week for publication.  Obviously, it is a piece meant for an Indian audience but I thought you might be interested in her thoughts and assessment of the terror attacks.

The terrorist attack on Mumbai drew all round condemnation around the world. About 26 foreigners from a dozen countries were killed in the ferocious attack, including Americans, Israelis, French, Australians, Canadians, Germans, Japanese, British, Italian, Singaporean, Thai and Mauritians. Leaders from several countries were quick to respond by making phone calls to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukerjee. American President George W Bush spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as did British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso were also in touch with Indian leaders.

 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy offered the help of French intelligence agencies. For the first time, the Indian government agreed to take the foreign assistance for investigating the terrorist incident. A team from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a British team and an Israeli forensic team are being sent to assist in the investigations because of the presence of American and Israeli nationals among the victims. 

 

A series of bomb attacks have taken place across the country in the past few months, but to mount an attack of this nature is to seek to inflict a deeper and more serious wound on the Indian psyche. The attack required meticulous planning stretching over several weeks. There has been an abysmal failure on the part of the intelligence agencies; it was compounded by the lax surveillance of the coastal waters. The terrorists succeeded in their plans because the state government in Mumbai and the central government in Delhi failed to assess the severity of the attack, which delayed the arrival of the National Security Guard commandos.

 

As the country takes stock of the situation after the carnage in Mumbai, there are several questions that have come up about the timing of the attack. Was it meant to derail the India-Pakistan peace process? Coincidentally, the Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Quereshi was in Delhi for a visit to discuss ways to improve bilateral relations when the terrorists struck Mumbai.

 

The attack took place just after the people of Jammu and Kashmir had sent out a strong signal by voting in large numbers in two phases of the state elections. For the first time after militancy gained ground in the state in the 1990s, Kashmiris voted in the elections in strength, about 60 per cent of the voters turned out on polling day to cast their votes. In the last two elections, voter turnout had been low as the militants had given a call to boycott the elections. Just two months ago, a long drawn out agitation against the allocation of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board had brought people out on the streets shouting slogans for 'azaadi' (freedom). It seemed like a revival of the old days when the majority of the population supported the militants. But, despite a call for boycotting the polls by the separatists, people came out to vote. The unexpected high polling was a blow to the militants.

 

There is deep anger and anguish in the country, and the government is under tremendous pressure to take decisive action against Pakistan. In 2002, there was a similar outcry to take decisive action after the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament. The National Democratic Alliance government had moved Indian troops to the border but the experience of 2002 was not a satisfactory one. Indian and Pakistani troops had a year long face-off along the border. The military build-up on the border had sparked off fears around the world of a conflict between the two nuclear weapons states. Governments in the developed countries issued travel advisories against travelling to India and their embassies had sent back their non-essential staff. The flight of foreigners and the heightened image of an unstable India had a sharply negative effect on the economy. The government had also found it difficult to take the decision to stand down the troops after the high alert since there was nothing tangible to show for the manoeuvre.

 

The civilian government in Islamabad does not have full control over the military and the Inter-Services-Intelligence (ISI). As the civilian government led by President Ali Asif Zardari makes friendly gestures towards New Delhi, its proposals are diluted within hours as other forces come into play. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's office had announced that the ISI chief, Lt General Ahmed Shuja Pasha would come to Delhi at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's request. But a day later, Islamabad backtracked to say that the ISI chief was too senior an official and a junior official would represent him. In a similar manner some time ago, the army forced Mr Gilani to reverse his decision after he had issued an order bringing the ISI under the control of the Home Ministry. Last week Pakistani President Ali Asif Zardari spoke of a no-first-use nuclear pact, but it was not long before a string of clarifications were issued.  

 

Meanwhile, Pakistani security forces have sent out a subtle threat that it was ready to move troops to the border with India. According to Pakistani media reports, an unidentified security official briefed the media that Pakistan may move troops from its border with Afghanistan to the Indian border if tension escalates between the two countries. It is a claim that is likely to bring an immediate response from the American government. Instead of pressing Islamabad to take action against the terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, international attention will get diverted to cooling tensions between India and Pakistan.

 

There is an angry mood in the country and a desire to see some action. But the most important task is to cut off the terrorist groups from an easy access to funds and their freedom to operate.

The Wedding Obsession

Pictured: The bride and groom of the wedding I attended.

A close family friend of mine, Ritu Sangwan, was in India to attend a family wedding.  Ritu has been a big fan of the blog since its inception.  In the spring, we exchanged e-mails on potentially meeting up during my journey when we discovered that we would be in India around the same time.  We agreed that we would meet up in India and that it was time for me to plan to attend my third wedding of the journey.

Next to cricket, Indians are obsessed with weddings and marriage.  At any given time, the majority of Bollywood movies at the cinema revolve around marriage.  The weekend paper is filled with matrimonial ads of families seeking good matches for their sons and daughters.  At dinner parties, parents will commiserate with other parents about getting their children married.  Parents are not considered successful or done raising their children until they are married.

I knew going into my trip to India that I would be assaulted with talk of marriage. It happens every time I go there.  "Why aren't you married yet?  Your poor mother.  What type of woman are you interested in? Can I introduce you to my..."  Since I am the oldest of my generation of cousins, I have been in the cross-hairs for years.   I hadn't been in the country for more than an hour before I was asked why I was not married.  At dinner with my uncle and aunt, I was told that my mom had asked them to introduce me to eligible women.  I now was aware of the reason my mother was meeting me in India and it wasn't because she missed me.  I knew I would have to be on my "A" game otherwise I would end up leaving India with a wife and that might put a crimp on the last few months of the journey!

Indian weddings, though they vary from region to region, are incredible affairs that often last days. The wedding is as much about the two getting married, as it is about two families coming together.  Arranged weddings are still common in India though the couple has much more say and a longer courtship period than generations before them.

Pictured: The groom during the baraat.  I am sure the cell phone has some ceremonial symbolism!

One of favorite parts of an Indian wedding is the "baraat" or the groom's wedding procession.  The groom will travel to the bride's house or the wedding reception on a horse or elephant.  The groom's family and friends will accompany him in a procession of music and dancing.  The formal wedding ceremony is long and contains many parts.  The most important part of the wedding is the Saptapadi which is the exchanging of vows as the bride and groom circle the ceremonial fire seven times.  The seven vows are:

1. With the first phera, the couple prays for the plenitude of pure and nourishing food and a life that is noble and respectful.
2. With the second phera the couple prays for physical and mental strength and to lead a healthy and peaceful life.
3. The third phera is taken for the fulfillment of spiritual obligations. God is asked to bless the couple with spiritual strength.
4. The fourth phera is taken for the attainment of happiness and harmony through mutual love and trust and a long joyous life together.
5. The fifth phera is taken to pray for the welfare of all living entities in the entire universe and for begetting noble children.
6. The sixth phera is for bountiful seasons all over the world. The couple prays for bountiful seasons and seeks that they may go through these seasons together, just as they would share their joys and sorrows.
7. With the last phera they pray for a life of understanding, loyalty, unity and companionship not only for themselves but also for the peace of the Universe.

The wedding was great fun and we attended two different receptions.  Since none of my suits fit anymore, I had two suits tailored made for me in India, one for each reception.  Getting things tailor made in India is very affordable and the two suits would end up costing less than one ready made suit in the US. 

My friend Ritu, who is single as well, and I joked about the obsession of our Indian based relatives with our need to get married.  So we decided that we would get me "married off" in the old fashioned way and with more than one wife.  When the bride and groom were making their rounds, we stole a quick photo on the wedding couple's ceremonial chairs.

From Cricket to the Palace: My Adventure Continues

Pictured: The Wankaner Palace.

My cousin, Kesri, called me up and told me that there was only one train from the Pushkar area to his town of Wankaner and it was leaving that day.  I needed to be on that train otherwise I was going to have a tricky time getting down his way.  I made it to the train station and found out that everything was sold out so I bought a ticket on the waiting list.  Unfortunately, I never moved up the list.  My only choice was to hop the train and sweet talk the train conductor.  It is common that sweet talk accompanied with a handful of rupees might find you a seat on the train.

Normally, I would have traveled in the first class cabin because they are air conditioned, more comfortable and only a few American dollars more in cost.  Since I needed to get down there, I went to the the lower class cabin and tried my luck.  Normally in many countries, people can tell I am a foreigner by looking at my skin color. Though I might have looked like a local, I stood out like a sore thumb.  I was a sight to be seen as I came barreling in with my huge back pack and settled into a seat.  I could tell that I was part of everyone's conversation.  Eventually a younger guy got up the courage to ask me my name and where I was going.  In broken Hindi and a little of English, I explained him my situation.  He then told others in our area my story. I had nothing to worry about from that point on.  They took care of me.  They offered me food, talked to the conductor and even when most of the people got off at other stops they talked to another group to make sure that I got off at the right place. 

Before getting to my station, I received an urgent text to call my cousin.  I put in the call wondering what could be the problem.  There was a change of plans.  I needed to stay for one more stop on the train because we were going to a cricket match.  It is hard to explain how much Indians are into cricket, let alone how much my cousin is into it.  My cousin likes cricket more than I like Spartan sports.  I know you might be asking, "Is that possible?" Yes, it is.  Kesri and the rest of the billion other people in the country are obsessed with the game. 

 Pictured: Yuvraj Singh hit a century during the match that I watched.  A century takes the level of importance that a grand slam takes in American baseball.

My cousin picked me up at the train station and we made it over to the cricket pitch. It was the first of the Indian and England Test Series. The game had already started and India was up first.  We left after India had finished its side.  I had a basic understanding of the rules but watching it live put it all into perspective.  Like all sports, it only took me a few minutes to get into the spirit of the game.  India gave a stunning performance with one of their players, Yuvraj Singh, getting a century.  India went on to win that match and the next four before the series was temporarily suspended due to the Mumbai bombings.

After the match, we went over to a beach resort for the weekend. It was relaxing and a good way to spend time with my cousin that I don't see very often.  After two days of rest and relaxation, we went to Wankaner to see my Mausa and Mausi (uncle and aunt.)  My Mausa is the head of the royal family that has lived in the region for generations.  Wankaner derives its name from the geographical feature related to the location of the town: 'Wanka' means a bend and 'ner' means water stream in Gujarati. Wankaner literally means a bend on the stream and it is located on the bend of the Machchhu river. 

It was my first visit to the Wankaner Palace.  The Palace is an impressive set of buildings that is located on the hill that overlooks the town.  The main palace was built in 1907 and houses much of the history of the generations of royalty that ruled over the region.   The palace also houses a number of antique cars and a private collection of antiques, royal artifacts and weaponry. 

A portion of the Palace was converted into a heritage hotel a few years back.  As the country was formed in 1947, the regional royalty lost much of its power and ability to generate revenue.  Most of the royal families have converted some portions of their estates into museums and hotels to help offset the cost of the upkeep of the property.  Unfortunately, the huge earthquake of 2001 that caused so much damage in that part of India damaged much of the Palace.  They are still making repairs from that unfortunate earthquake.
Pictured: The clock tower was badly damaged by the earthquake.

My uncle is an avid hunter and the interior front rooms are adorned with hunting trophies from across the world.  He is quite proud of his trophies including an award setting moose from his hunting trips to Alaska. As he watched the US election, he became a great fan of Governor Sarah Palin.  He at one point was a member of the Indian Parliament so it was surprising to see him supporting the conservative Republican but their tie was the love Alaska.  He liked the fact that she was an avid hunter and bought attention to a state that often doesn't get international attention.   He wrote a letter to her a few weeks back and he is patiently waiting for her response.  If the Governor ever needs an Indian Fan Club, I am sure that my uncle would sign up.

Pictured:  My Mausa (uncle), Mausi (aunt) and my cousin, Kesri.

The Pushkar Camel Festival

After our Habitat for Humanity build, I went back to New Delhi for a few days to see family and run the New Delhi half marathon.  The day after the run, I hopped on a morning train to Ajmer, a city just outside of Pushkar.  Truth be told--I didn't really hop on the train. Most observers would say that I limped on the train.

I was heading to the world renowned Pushkar Camel Festival.  The Fair is world's largest celebration of all things camel related! 

Thousands of people come to buy and sell camels, horses, goats and other livestock.  There are camel races, best mustache competitions, cultural programs of song and dance.  There is something for everyone in this desert town, except alcohol.  Pushkar is a holy town and because of that the town is alcohol free and all restaurants are strictly vegetarian.

Pushkar, located in the tourist state of Rajasthan, is considered the birth place of the Hindu god, Brahma.  Hindu worshipers will often make a pilgrimage to Pushkar to bathe in Pushkar's lake.  In the center of the town, there is one of only temples in the world dedicated to Brahma.  The Pushkar Festival is celebrated on the religious day of Kartik Purnim, the night of the full moon.

I had three friends join me for the festivities.  Two of my fellow volunteers from the Habitat for Humanity build, Vidya and Beth joined me on the trip.  Vidya was new to "Singh Around the World" but I had met Beth and her husband, Keith, during my 1/2 marathon run in Antarctica.

Vidya, a suit at HBO, is of Indian decent but four generations removed compared to my one.  We joked that while my understanding of India was at a four or five out of ten, her understanding was somewhere in the negative numbers.  She was a good sport and put up with the banter very well.

Beth just left the professional world to start a promising career in photography.  You might remember her "Penguin and his Reflection" photo from one of the earlier Antarctica blog posts.  When Beth heard about the Camel Fair, she jumped on board because she knew there would be some incredible visuals she could capture on one of her three cameras. 

The last participant for the camel experience was Amit from Arizona.  I randomly met Amit on the plane to the Final Four in Minneapolis in 2001.  Amit is a huge sports fan and over the years I received random calls from him at almost every major sporting event in the US.  He joined Patrick and I in Greece for the Olympics in 2004 so he had heard the early thoughs of the worldwide adventure. He was in India for a family wedding and so he joined us for the fair.

Pictured: Sam, Amit, our token white girl, Beth and Vidya.

The festival was great fun but at the end of it I was ready to move on.  I mean there is only so much fun to be had with a camel.  Please insert your own inappropriate joke here. After the fair, I left my three companions and traveled south to visit my family at their palace in the town of Wankaner.  Yes, I said palace.  I am sure that will have you come back to read the next installment of the blog.

Habitat For Humanity- (Part III)

A Fun Group of Volunteers
  Pictured: Kids in the village checking out the new volunteer team.

There is something to be said about the type of people that go on Habitat for Humanity Global Village build programs.  There is something unique about them.  They are adventurous.  They are passionate.  They are a hell of a lot of fun. This was my third Habitat for Humanity group this year and the group didn’t disappoint.

Our team leader, Colleen Kaleda, chose a pretty diverse group of fourteen people to be a part of the Bangalore, India team.  We had a father/son combo, two retired teachers that were former college roommates and a group of professionals ranging from a recent college grad to those that were seasoned in their professions. 

There is something interesting about the people that elect to use their limited vacation time to volunteer in a foreign country.  Our group clicked right from the beginning.  Though the work was difficult, the group stayed optimistic and focused on the reason they were there.  After the volunteer work was over for the day, they enjoyed a cold beer and discussions about the upcoming election.  I was in heaven.  I am confident that I will retain many friendships from this encounter. The group has already begun to talk about a possible reunion in 2009.

The Impact on a Village

The Habitat for Humanity staff told our group that our mere presence was going to impact the village that we working in.  In India, the caste system though fading away is still more visible in the villages than in the cities.  The executive director of the Bangalore affiliate stressed that the fact westerners were electing to volunteer hand in hand with local families would turn the caste system on its head for the time that we were there.  It might not change a societal system that has been in place for generations but it would test people’s assumptions and show inadequacy of the system.

During our first day in the village both the volunteers and the people in the village were curious of each other.  People in the village would walk by our sites and point and talk about us.  My fellow volunteers took pictures of everything they saw including the children that swarmed us to see what these strangers were doing in their town.  By the end of the week, we were a welcome part of the town and the pictures were being taken of our work and the friendships that we made with the local families.

What Did You Call Me?
Pictured: Uncle Shorieh and Uncle Sam with our site's masons during a chai break.

In India, elders are treated with great deal of respect.  As a child, I called each of my parent's friends "uncle or aunty" as a form of respect.  On our site, I found it cute that the mason called my fellow volunteer, Shorieh, uncle.  Shorieh was an experience architect and a father of two children so it seemed fitting.  Eventually, the mason started calling me uncle when he wanted to get my attention.  At first, I was honored because I thought I was significantly older than the mason   But during one of our tea breaks, the mason told me he was thirty-five.  Both he and I was surprised to find out that I was only two years older.  We laughed at the minor difference between our ages but he continued to call me uncle.  I guess the gray hair entitles me to being called uncle.

Instant Rivalry

Pictured: The Rivals- Sam and Ron Franklin.

My roommate during our Habitat for Humanity build was a lawyer from New York, Ron Franklin.  We got along quite well because we both had the same juvenile sense of humor.  Ron had looked at my website prior to coming on the trip and knew that I was a Spartan fan.  Little did I know that I would be bunking with the enemy.  As we were unpacking on our first day, he proudly pulled out his University of Michigan baseball cap.  A Wolverine in my midst!  I welcomed him with open arms.  What could I do? The MSU Spartans had whupped up on his Wolverines the weekend before on the football field, it was the only charitable thing to do .

Thanksgiving in India

  

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice." 
                                                                                                                  ~Meister Eckhart

I found myself in New Delhi, India on Thanksgiving.  As you can imagine, the American holiday of Thanksgiving is not celebrated in India.  The people here are not too impressed that some Pilgrims had dinner with the Indians a few centuries ago.  I mean, I am sure they find it cute that the Europeans named the native people of the America's after them but sitting around the table and gorging themselves on Turkey is not high on the list for the world's largest population of vegetarians in the world. 

I spent the evening with my parents, and two sets of uncles, aunts and cousins.  We had traditional Indian food and deserts.  There was no Turkey. There was no cranberry sauce.  No watching the Lions lose on TV.  But in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I was with family and I guess that is all that really counts.

It is not hard for me to think of a number of things that I am thankful for this year.  This year has been an amazing year of experiences that have allowed me to reflect on how fortunate I am to be living a life long dream.  I have met great people, witnessed hard working organizations and expanded my understanding of international issues.  I have had the opportunity to see world wonders, push myself physically and witness worldwide events in person. 

Though there are so many more serious things that I am thankful for, I want to take a few lines of my blog to thank people who made this trip possible.

• I am thankful to Patrick Krips for joining me on this journey for the first six months.
• I am thankful to Mike and Kelli Baird for the work they have done on the website and graphics. And to David Sholeen who helped create the Google map for the site.
• I am thankful to my parents for their support of all aspects of the trip.
• I am thankful to Patti and Brent Dolan for taking care of my dog and house in East Lansing.
• I am thankful to my colleagues at the City of East Lansing and the Michigan Nonprofit Association who gave me great travel gifts before I left that have made the trip a little bit easier.
• I am thankful to the forty-six people who joined me on the trip so far including Shawn, Pam, Kim, Graham, Jen, Suneil and Mike who met me out on the road more than once.
• I am thankful to the people who have helped reduce the cost of this trip by taking care of accommodations, hosting me in their home, buying meals or arranging travel arrangements.
• Thanks to those who have supported my volunteer activities.
• Thanks to those who have used my paypal account to help make the trip a little easier by buying dinner, a round of drinks or sending me an early Christmas gift.

Maybe most importantly, thanks to those who have read the blog and promoted it to their friends. I appreciate the e-mails and the supportive responses to the various posts because it gives me the push to keep on going.  As we enter the holiday season, I wish you and your families the best.

Terror in Mumbai Challenges the Nation

I was planning on writing a Thanksgiving post today but I have been focused on the news watching the tragedy unfold in Mumbai.  The terror attacks on Mumbai are almost a day old and there is still an unresolved hostage situation in one of the hotels.  The news coverage has been rapidly changing over the day as new information is being uncovered.  At the moment, 101 people are confirmed dead and over three hundred people injured.  An Islamic group, called Deccan Mujahedeen, has claimed to be behind the attacks.  According to media reports, terrorist experts have limited information on this group.

The scale and the intricate nature of these attacks have raised the level of concern for terrorist experts.  The coordination of the attacks on ten different sites by a group of at least 25 terrorist shows that they were well trained and funded for this act of terrorism.  There is concern that this type of terrorism might have been influenced and funded by larger terrorist organizations creating the fear of additional attacks in the near future.

India has not been a stranger to terrorism.  They have been dealing with issues of terrorism for years often tied to the ongoing conflict with Pakistan in Kashmir.  This year there have been attacks in a number of cities including the capital of New Delhi.  The attacks will have a significant impact on Mumbai and India as a whole.  The attacks have occurred a few weeks before statewide elections and a few months before the national election.  An incident of this nature will be on the minds of people as they go to the polls.  Experts are concerned of the other effects of this attack such as the impact on the already struggling economy and tourism trade. 

Mumbai is the financial capital of India. In addition, it is the headquarters for India’s movie industry, Bollywood.  Mumbai was the victim of a terror attack in 2006 that targeted passenger trains leaving over 200 dead.

I went to bed last night before the attacks began to be reported on by the media.  In the morning, I went to my cousin's room to use his internet and logged into Facebook.  It was there that I learned of the attack as eight friends had left posts asking if I was safe.  Though I was in Mumbai this past week, I had returned to New Delhi on Friday to attend a wedding.  All of our friends and family from Mumbai were fine and not near the area that was attacked. People in Delhi were in shock and the lack of concrete news did not help but people went on with their daily routines.

I had heard from my friend, Annette that her brother was supposed to be at the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai yesterday.  I had lunch and drinks with him and his wife a few months ago when I was in Hong Kong. His flight to Mumbai had some mechanical problems so he was rerouted to Bangalore.  He luckily was grounded there for the night.  A small blessing in the midst of a huge tragedy.

The police are still in the process of trying to bring these attacks to a conclusion. Hostages are still being held in the Oberoi Hotel.  It seems that this nightmare might continue well into the night.  As many of my friend’s celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States, I hope that they will keep in mind and their prayers the people of Mumbai and the victims of these attacks.