Take a deep breath and relax, President Bush!!!

[Guest guest]

Take a deep breath and relax, President Bush!!!

by Swaraaj Chauhan

 

TMV NOTE: This was posted yesterday by our newest co-blogger Swaraaj

Chauhan. We are running it again today. We're also chain linking his

previous post to this one so readers can better follow his unique

perspective. Please note that there are newer posts under this one so

after you read this be sure to scroll down.

 

I sincerely wish that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his personal

capacity, invites George Walker Bush to India again so that the

American President could take a few lessons from Swami Ramdev, a

saffron-clad Yoga guru who has created a revolution of sorts in India.

Ramdev claims to have healed/cured many people of a number of modern

day ailments, such as diabetes, heart problems, and even cancer, by

teaching them simple breathing exercises.

 

Large gatherings can be seen at Ramdev's camps in different parts of

the country, and these are attended by persons as varied in their

calling as the Vice President of India, Union Cabinet Ministers, Chief

Ministers from the federal States, common folks, and even the lowly

manual rickshaw-pullers living in New Delhi's slums. A TV channel

beams everyday Ramdev's programmes, many a times live, and are avidly

viewed by millions of people.

 

But why should Bush get into this? He looks so fighting fit. Now wait

a second. Don't you hear the murmurs of dissent becoming louder by the

day within the hallowed precincts of the U.S. establishment? America's

war weary generals and President Carter's former national security

adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, have joined the chorus and recently

advised the Bush administration to exercise restraint vis-à-vis Iran.

Everyone seems to be getting tired. And the crescendo of dissent has

begun to rise.

 

A soldier fights hoping to earn the gratitude of the nation and win

honors. But here we have a situation where the poor soldier is stuck

on an alien soil with no clear idea as to whose glory he or she is

fighting for in a war that appears endless. And then there is the

trauma and the agony of their families.

 

So let me get this straight. If the U.S. Generals and many others

among the civil elite are not propagating war, then they must be

pleading for peace. Ramdev also talks of peace and tranquility that is

so important for not only one's own health and prosperity, but that of

the nations of the world. And he emphasizes that Yoga will emerge as a

most important tool for world peace.

 

I wish that instead of taking Bush to the southern Indian state of

Hyderabad to acquaint him about the hi-tech city during his recent

visit, he should have been persuaded to visit Ramdev's ashram, or

retreat, at the holy city of Haridwar, on the banks of the sacred

Ganga or the Ganges.

 

Even now it is not too late. India must show its gratitude to the U.S.

President for sending all the latest war gadgetry (not forgetting the

nuke deal) and also arranging for the American soldiers to play war

games along with Indian soldiers at sensitive places on land and the

seas, which was earlier unthinkable within the conservative Indian

defense establishment.

 

As a reciprocal gesture, the Indian President's special Air Force

plane could take Swami Ramdev to the White House. Ramdev's Yoga

exercise will surely help President Bush breathe easy and relax. And

maybe put him on the road to a peaceful resolution of present

conflicts. Let's not forget to include Rumsfeld and Rice on the Yoga

mat. On his way back, Ramdev might think of a stopover at London's

famous address: No 10 Downing Street.

 

President Bush has limited options, especially with his dipping

popularity ratings and rising crescendo of dissent within the American

establishment. Either he takes the Ramdev route. Or, he should get

down from the white steed, remove his shining armor and return to the

game of old style diplomacy…maybe in the footsteps of the legendary

British Empire's old war horse named Winston Churchill…connoisseur of

cigar and scotch…stated to be the essential ingredients for

contemplative/patient diplomacy.

 

However, it is unlikely that Bush may be successful in treading that

route, too, because of his own earlier famous decision, seemingly

taken in haste!!! At times I wonder at the wisdom of totally

abstaining from minor sins such as a sip of something that cheers the

spirit, or a taste of nicotine, especially when a person has already

committed the cardinal sin of becoming a politician. And also if he

happens to be at the helm and destined to decide the fate of his own,

and other, people/nations. We all understand how very lonely it can be

at the top.

 

While making those crucial diplomatic moves on the chessboard of

national/international politics, the magic cloud of a cigar smoke

hanging in the room and the golden liquid glistening in a crystal

glass seems to have played a significant role in conflict resolution.

 

So Mr President…At this historical juncture the world awaits your

decision! You can choose either of the above mentioned routes. And

breathe easy. By the way you don't have to take Churchill's remark,

made with his tongue firmly in his plump cheek, seriously: "Americans

always try to do the right thing — after they've tried everything else."

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The writer has worked as journalist with national and international

media. At present he is Media Consultant with Press Institute of

India, New Delhi. He is also Trainer/Mentor with BBC World Service

Trust. Email: swaraaj47

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