To love him or love him not?

Theres a Philadelphian hiphop group called Immortal Technique, and in one of their songs, they say, "I love the place I live in but I hate the people in charge."

I find this quote to be very appropriate for the theme of my post, that of increasing Indian admiration for all things American, but an apparent distaste for its President. Led by all and sundry, there are protests all over the country over the arrival of President Bush. His effigies have been burnt, black flags have been waved in streets and are fluttering atop the highest mosques. They want India to have nothing to do with the 'killer' Bush. however, if a global survey conducted last year is to be believed, all this protest is hogwash, because it seems we love President Bush as well!

I think late last year, The Pew Research Center in Washington DC, USA, conducted the 2005 Global Attitudes Survey, and remarkably, Indians love the United States, and surprisingly, love President Bush as well. They agree with the the US foreign policy, and that the US takes everyone's concerns in regards before taking actions. (ah my starry eyed breathren!) Of course, it remains the land of opportunity and inventiveness.

I think I can understand the demographics that were surveyed by the Center. Many of India's well to do families, including the top brass in the Government, have immediate family settled in the US, including the Prime Minister, and other top ministers. So many of the respondents probably belongs to the richer class of society, with somebody from their family in the United States. The lower middle and working class doesnt have as many sons, daughters or in-laws in the US, and maybe they were a minority respondents for the survey, if surveyed at all.

Lets see what Pew has to say....

India: Pro-America, Pro-Bush

Looking for some good news amid the often dismal findings about America's image abroad? Try India. Anti-Americanism has surged in much of the world since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, but India has bucked the trend. Among Indians, America's image has actually improved in recent years.

The 2005 Pew Global Attitudes survey found that about seven-in-ten Indians (71%) have a favorable view of the United States. Of the 17 countries polled in the survey, only Americans themselves hold a more favorable view of their country. And while U.S. favorability ratings have plunged in many countries, Indians are significantly more positive about the United States now than they were in the summer of 2002, when 54% gave the U.S. favorable marks.

In the world's largest democracy, moreover, President Bush, who is unpopular in many countries around the globe, is also widely admired. Just over half (54%) of Indians say they have a lot or some confidence that Bush will generally do the right thing in world affairs, a significantly higher percentage than in any other country except his own.

Indians also have a strongly positive impression of the American people - 71% have a favorable opinion of Americans, up from 58% in 2002. Moreover, Indians tend to associate Americans with positive character traits, and generally do not associate Americans with negative characteristics. Eight-in-ten (81%) Indians consider Americans hardworking, and 86% - the highest percentage of any country surveyed, including the U.S. itself - say Americans are inventive. Fewer (58%) regard Americans as honest, but even among U.S. respondents, Americans receive mediocre marks for truthfulness (63%).

And America remains a land of opportunity for many Indians. Asked where they would recommend that a young person move in order to lead a good life, a 38% plurality of Indians choose the United States.

In many countries, anti-Americanism is driven by disagreement with U.S. foreign policy. Indians, however, largely approve of the way the U.S. conducts itself in the international arena. For example, Indians are less likely than others to believe the U.S. acts unilaterally on the world stage - 63% of Indians say the U.S. takes into account the interests of other countries when making foreign policy decisions.

Despite their pro-American attitudes, Indians would like to see another power become as militarily strong as the United States. Indeed, Indians are among the most likely to favor another country or group of countries rising to the level of global superpower. Still, there is less support among Indians for China becoming as militarily powerful as the United States. Indians are split over this issue, with 45% saying that if China became America's military equal this would be a good thing and 45% saying this would be a bad development.



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While at the same time, we have.....

Protest rallies to welcome Prez

There have been widespread protests across the country against the much-hyped Bush visit.

From Bhopal, where the 1984 gas leak victims have taken to streets and are shouting slogans, to Hyderabad where anti-Bush campaigners have found a unique way of expressing themselves, the protests have been widespread..

In New Delhi, thousands took out a massive protest rally, waved black and white flags and chanted slogans like "Death to Bush!", "Bush, Bush, go home" and "Death to America, death to Bush".

According to the Delhi Police, nearly one lakh people, mostly Muslims gathered in Delhi's Ramlila ground for the protest march.

The Left parties are also planning to protest in front of Parliament on Thursday.

On Tuesday, nearly 1,000 people demonstrated in Mumbai, waving placards reading "Devil Bush Go Back," with caricatures of Bush as a cross between Superman and Satan.

Some mosques in Hyderabad have already unfurled banners protesting his arrival. Bush would visit the city for four hours on Friday.

Members of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) burned effigies of Bush in the city.

Surprise checks and raids were being carried out at several sensitive parts of the national capital and activities of travellers to the city were being monitored closely.

Police were also keeping a watch on budget hotels in busy areas like Paharganj and Karol Bagh to look out for any suspects.

CRPF, Rapid Action force and Delhi Police personnel will be deployed along the Ramlila Grounds-Parliament Street road, the route of a rally against Bush's visit organised by the Left Parties.
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Lets see what Voice of America has to say. Wow, we had that many protesters? Sweet!

Tens of Thousands of Indian Muslims and Communists Protest Bush Visit

Tens of thousands of Muslim and communist protesters have rallied in India's two

major cities to protest President Bush's trip to India.

Muslims wearing prayer caps filled a fairground in New Delhi, waving black flags and shouting anti-Bush and anti-Iraq war slogans.

In Calcutta, also known as Kolkata, thousands of communist supporters converged downtown to take part in a public meeting arranged by the "Committee Against Bush Visit" to protest against American policies around the world.