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The Sardar & The President: The Obamas Fete India's First Family

by JOSH WINGROVE

 

In a green affair featuring locally grown food and held on the White House lawn, U.S President Barack Obama welcomed Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to his first official state dinner Tuesday night (November 24, 2009).

The black-tie gala was seen as an important gesture of co-operation between the two countries.

It was held under a tent on the South Lawn of the White House, in keeping with a theme of "the Obamas' dedication to green and sustainable elements," according to an official White House summary.

The food included vegetables grown in the White House garden; a meatless entree to satisfy Sardar Manmohan Singh, a vegetarian; and gift bags that included a jar of honey from White House beehives. Locally grown magnolias lined the dinner tent.

WHY INDIA?

In welcoming the crowd to his first state dinner as President, Mr. Obama praised the relationship between India and the United States, the world's two largest democracies.

"Tonight, under the stars, we celebrate the spirit that will sustain our partnership, the bond of friendship between our people," he told the crowd. He credited a "movement led by giants like Gandhi and King, which are the reason both of us can stand here tonight."

Mr. Manmohan Singh pledged continued co-operation between the countries and heaped praise on Mr. Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. "You do us and the people of India great honour by this wonderful gesture on your part," he said of being selected for the first state dinner.

"We are overwhelmed by the warmth of your hospitality, the courtesy you have extended to us personally, and the grace and charm of the first lady," Mr. Manmohan Singh said. "You are an inspiration to all those who cherish the values of democracy, diversity, and equal opportunity."

After brief speeches, Mr. Obama thanked the crowd and Mr. Manmohan Singh, to whom he quietly said, smiling: "Finally you can sit down and eat."

GUESTS

The five-course meal was prepared by Marcus Samuelsson, an award-winning chef who has apprenticed across Europe and the United States and was named one of "The Great Chefs of America" by the Culinary Institute of America.

The meal began with potato and eggplant salad and White House arugula, and added a red lentil soup soon after.

A choice of entrees included roasted potato dumplings with tomato chutney, chick peas and okra, or a meal of green curry prawns.

In a nod to the upcoming American Thanksgiving, a pumpkin pie tart was among a number of dessert courses.

Ms. Obama worked with Mr. Samuelsson and White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford to develop "a menu that reflects the best of American cuisine, continues this White House's commitment to serving fresh, sustainable and regional food, and honours the culinary excellence and flavours that are present in Indian cuisine."

The desserts were garnished with mint and lemon verbena grown in the White House garden.

ATTIRE

While India's First Lady, Sardarni Gursharan Kaur, wore a traditional sari, Ms. Obama's golden, strapless gown also had an Indian flavour.

Naeem Khan, who designed Ms. Obama's dress, said the gown took three weeks of work by about 40 people to make.

"It's so beautiful, totally handmade," explained Mr. Khan.

In addition to the silver-sequined gown, Ms. Obama wore a matching wrap, a stack of bangle bracelets on her wrist and dangling earrings.

"I think she looks fabulous," said Mary Tomer, author of the new book Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy . "She walked out in something that's figure-flattering and chic. Naeem's work is known for glamour and embellishment and this dress seems to embody that. She's sparkling and radiant."

Mr. Obama stuck to a classic tuxedo.

"I often feel Obama's suits are too big on him, but I think he got a new tux," said Hal Rubenstein, fashion director for InStyle magazine.

GUESTS

The list of 320 invitees included political heavyweights, Hollywood moguls, Sikh-American and Indo-American leaders.

Vice-President Joe Biden, Senator John Kerry, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led a cast of Democrats joining the President. Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana and Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana were among the Republicans invited to attend. CBS host Katie Couric, Thomas Friedman of The New York Times and CNN correspondent Sanjay Gupta were among the media figures attending. Directors Steven Spielberg and M. Night Shyamalan were the biggest Hollywood names, with Deepak Chopra, Amrit Singh, Analjit Singh, Balwinder Singh, Mohinder Singh, Lakhwinder Singh, Sukhbir Kaur, Upinder Singh, Sant Singh Chhatwal among the Sikh and Indo-American attendees.

ENTERTAINMENT

The night featured a number of performances, including those by Oscar-winning songstress Jennifer Hudson, eight-time Grammy nominated jazz singer Kurt Elling and the National Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Elling hails from Chicago, the home city of the Obamas. The evening included a performance by Indian star A.R. Rahman, a composer, record producer, musician and singer best known in North America as the composer of Slumdog Millionaire song Jai Ho .

In keeping with custom, it also included a performance by The President's Own United States Marine Band, which dates back to 1798.

 

STATE DINNER: WHO'S AT THE HEAD TABLES?

Just as it is when you finally make it past the velvet rope, only to find that there's another, more exclusive VIP room ... so it was with the nation's most coveted invitation, a White House state dinner. A few hundred got to attend, but only a handful got to sit with the President and First Lady.

At Tuesday's dinner for Sardar Manmohan Singh and Sardarni Gursharan Kaur, some obvious picks for the prime seats - the prime minister's daughters and a Nobel laureate at Michelle Obama's table -- but also some surprising ones: Hollywood titan David Geffen, and his boyfriend Jeremy Lingvall at President Obama's table.

PRESIDENT'S TABLE
Mrs. Gursharan Kaur, India's First Lady
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass)
Ambassador to India Tim Roemer
Mary Johnston, Roemer's guest (likely a relative of his wife, Sally Johnston Roemer)
Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Paul Pelosi, her husband
David Geffen, the Hollywood titan
Jeremy Lingvall, Geffen's boyfriend

FIRST LADY'S TABLE
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Amrit Singh, the Prime Minister's daughter, an ACLU lawyer in New York
Upinder Singh, another daughter, a Professor at University of Delhi
Dr. Amartya Sen, Nobel-prize winning economist, now at Harvard
Emma Rothschild, Dr. Sen's wife, economic historian, now at Harvard
Gen. Colin Powell, former Secretary of State
Alma Powell, his wife
Rep. Howard Berman, (D-Calif.)

 

THE STATE DINNER

by Darlene Superville

 

The first state dinner of the Obama White House had it all: Oscar-winning entertainers, Hollywood moguls, a knockout guest chef and even a wardrobe malfunction.

Traditional evening gowns vied with saris of vibrant colours Tuesday night at the high-glitz dinner in honour of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. There were turbans and bindis as well as diamonds and brocades.

"Everyone looks great; we're feeling great," White House social secretary Desiree Rogers told a phalanx of cameras as she arrived, betraying no hint of nerves at the biggest social event of the Obama presidency.

First lady Michelle Obama had been a little more forthcoming earlier in the day when she described the trick to pulling off the event as sort of like being a swan: calm and serene above the water but "paddling like mad, going crazy underneath."

The 338-person guest list was a mix of Washington insiders, Hollywood A-listers, prominent figures from the Sikh-American and Indian community in the U.S., and Obama friends, family and campaign donors.

Attorney General Eric Holder patted his pocket as he arrived and said his kids had prepped him with all sorts of questions for tablemate Steven Spielberg. U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, asked who she was most looking forward to chatting with, ventured, "I'd have to name four." Then didn't.

Sen. Bob Casey had to scramble when his ensemble went rogue at just the wrong moment: His cummerbund dropped to the floor just as he and his wife stopped to pose before a scrum of about 40 reporters and photographers.

Alfre Woodard and Blair Underwood provided the celebrity quotient, but neither could come up with a connection to India. Mr. Underwood said he was there because of Ms. Woodard. She said she was there because she's on the president's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

Dinner guests were treated to an eye-catching scheme of green and purple, from the green curry surrounding the prawns to the purple floral arrangements paying homage to the peacock, India's national bird.

Pumpkin was on the menu, too, with Tuesday's dinner coming just two days before the American harvest holiday of Thanksgiving.

Hours before guests arrived and in keeping with tradition, Mrs. Obama previewed the glamorous table settings in the State Dining Room. That's often the venue for such dinners, but not this time.

Instead, in an effort to show Mr. Manmohan Singh how much the U.S. values relations with his country, the Obamas decided to serve dinner in a huge white tent on the South Lawn, with views of the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial through clear panels.

It wasn't your everyday tent: This one had chandeliers suspended from the ceiling and beige carpet on the floor.

President Barack Obama, in his dinner toast, said the setting conjured images of India, where special events are "often celebrated under the cover of a beautiful tent." Mr. Manmohan Singh, in turn, told the president he was overwhelmed by the Obamas' hospitality and said the president's election last year had been an inspiration to millions of Indians.

Magnolia branches native to both India and the U.S. adorned the tent's inside walls, along with ivy and nandina foliage.

Guests were seated 10 apiece at round tables draped in green apple-coloured cloths and napkins, offset by the sparkle of gold-coloured flatware and china, including service and dinner plates from the Eisenhower, Clinton and George W. Bush settings.

Floral arrangements of hydrangeas, roses and sweet peas in plum, purple and fuschia evoked India's state bird.

Mrs. Obama brought in award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit, a Scandinavian restaurant in New York City, to help White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford and her staff prepare the largely vegetarian meal. Mr. Manmohan Singh is a vegetarian.

Mr. Samuelsson said being chosen to help whip up dinner was both "overwhelming and humbling."

The culinary offerings included potato and eggplant salad, arugula from the White House garden, red lentil soup and roasted potato dumplings or green curry prawns. Pumpkin pie tart and pear tatin were for dessert; the pears were poached in honey from the White House beehive.

The entertainment lineup was stellar.

Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson and jazz vocalist and composer Kurt Elling, both Grammy Award winners from the Obamas' hometown of Chicago, were performing. Ms. Hudson also won an Academy Award for her role in Dreamgirls . Indian musician and singer A.R. Rahman, who won two Academy Awards for the music in Slumdog Millionaire , also was in the lineup.

Among the other guests: Hollywood moguls David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Guests with ties to India included spiritual adviser Deepak Chopra, director M. Night Shyamalan and PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi. Katie Couric of CBS News, Brian Williams of NBC News, Robin Roberts of ABC News and CNN Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta were among the media representatives invited. Oprah Winfrey was not on the list, but her best friend, Gayle King, was among the guests. Also there Obama friends Eric Whitaker and Martin Nesbitt, along with Mr. Obama's half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and her husband, Konrad; and Marian Robinson, the first lady's mother.

Every aspect of Tuesday's events was fraught with meaning and symbolism, from the flower colours to Mrs. Obama's clothing designers.

For the dinner, Mrs. Obama wore a sleeveless, gold and cream-coloured sheath dress with an overlay of silver and matching shawl by Indian-born designer Naeem Khan. At the State Dining Room event earlier in the day, the first lady wore a skirt by Rachel Roy, who is Indian.

The dinner also was a debut of sorts for florist Laura Dowling, who's been on the job less than a month.

The list of expected guests for President Barack Obama's first White House state dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as provided by the White House.

Barack Obama and U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama

Sardar Manmohan Singh and India'a First Lady, Sardarni Gursharan Kaur

Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y.

Sant Singh Chatwal

Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of India's Planning Commission

Mukesh D. Ambani

Tim Dutta, spouse of Pia Awal

David Axelrod, White House senior adviser, and Susan Axelrod

Preeta Bansal, general counsel for the Office of Management and Budget

Melody Barnes, White House domestic policy director, and Marland E. Buckner

Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., and Jane Berman

Om Prakash Bhatt

Hunter Biden and Kathleen Biden

Vice President Joe Biden and Jill Biden

Robert O. Blake Jr., the assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, and Sofia Blake

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Diana Taylor

John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and deputy national security adviser for counterterrorism, and Katherine Brennan

Lisa Brown, White House staff secretary, and Kevin Cullen

Donald Browne and Maria Junqera

Carol Browner, White House adviser on energy and climate, and Tom Downey

William Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, and Lisa Carty

Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Sandee Cartwright

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Terese Casey

Rajiv Chandrasekaran and Julie Chandrasekaran

I.S. Chaturvedi, personal secretary to India's prime minister

Minnesota state Sen. Satveer Chaudhry and Col. Ravi Chaudhry

Rohini Chopra

Deepak Chopra and Rita Chopra

Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Jean Chu

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., and Emily Clyburn

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Lucy Calutti

David Cote

Katie Couric of CBS and Brooks L. Perlin

Greg Craig, White House counsel, and Margaret D. Craig

Paula Crown and Jim Crown

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and Maya Rockeymoore

Iowa Sen. Swati Dandekar and Arvind Dandekar

Rajesh De, deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department

Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform, and Jason P. DeParle

Bhairavi Desai and Javaid Tariq

Vishakha N. Desai and Robert Oxman

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Jackie Clegg Dodd

John Doerr

Thomas Donilon, assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser, and Cathy Russell

Anita Dunn, White House communications director, and Bob Bauer

Ari Emanuel and Sarah Emanuel

Rahm Emanuel, White House chief of staff, and Amy Rule

Jon Favreau, assistant to the president and director of speechwriting

Sarah Feinberg, of the Office of the Chief of Staff

District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty and Michelle Fenty

Michelle Flournoy

Thomas Friedman and Ann Friedman

Mike Froman, deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs

Ashok S. Ganguly

Patrick Gaspard, White House political director and Raina Washington

Defense Secretary Robert Gates

Charlene Gaynor and Richard Heiss

David Geffen and Jeremy Lingvall

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Carole Sonnenfeld

Robert Gibbs, White House press secretary

Anish Goel, acting senior director of South Asia affairs for the National Security Council

Senapathy Gopalakrishnan

Mark Gorenberg and Wendy Wanderman

John Gorman and Tamra Gorman

Ohio state Rep. Jay Goyal and Kiran Goyal

Kansas state Rep. Raj Goyle and Monica Arora

Gov. Jennifer Granholm, D-Mich., and Daniel Mulhern

Earl G. Graves and Barbara Graves

Geeta Rao Gupta and Arvind Gupta

Raj Gupta

Rajat Gupta and Anita M. Gupta

Sanjay Gupta and Rebecca Olson Gupta

Lee Hamilton and Nancy Hamilton

Kamala Harris and Maya Harris

Kamil Hassan and Talat Hassan

George Haywood and Cheryl J. Haywood

Fred Hochberg, chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank, and Thomas P. Healy

Rep. Paul Hodes, D-N.H., and Margaret Hodes

Attorney General Eric Holder and Sharon Malone

John P. Holdren and Cheryl E. Holdren

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., and John Norton

Robert D. Hormats, undersecretary of state for economic, energy and agricultural affairs, and Camille Massey

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Kathleen May

Chris Hughes and Sean S. Eldridge

Jeff Immelt

Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and Irene Hirano

Deepa Iyer, Parag Khandhar and Vasudeva Iyer

Lisa Jackson, Environmental Protection Agency administrator, and Kenneth Jackson

Valerie Jarrett, White House senior adviser

Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La., and Supriya Jindal

James Jones, national security adviser, and Diane Jones

Vernon Jordan, former adviser to President Bill Clinton, and Ann Jordan

Anil Kakani

Farooq Kathwari and Farida Kathwari

Neal Katyal, deputy solicitor general

Jeffrey Katzenberg and Marilyn Katzenberg

Maneesha Kelkar and Vinay Vaishampayan

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

Harish Khare, media adviser to Indian prime minister

Bradley Kiley, of the Office of Management and Administration, and James Coley, Jr.

Gayle King, close friend of Oprah Winfrey

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Matrice Ellis-Kirk

Ron Klain, the vice president's chief of staff

Chanda Kochhar

S.M. Krishna, Indian minister of External Affairs

Gaitri Kumar, joint secretary for the Americas, Ministry of External Affairs of India

Vivek Kundra, federal chief information officer at the White House

Jhumpa Lahiri, author, and Alberto Vourvoulias

Marc Lasry, co-founder of hedge fund Avenue Capital Group, and Cathy Lasry

Jacob Lew, the deputy secretary of state for management and resources

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, and Mona Locke

Christopher Lu, Cabinet secretary, and Kathryn Thomson

Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Char Lugar

Michael Lynton, chairman and chief executive of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Elizabeth Jamie Alter

Surinder Malhotra

Capricia Marshall, chief of protocol at the State Department

Alyssa Mastromonaco, of the White House Office of Scheduling

Brian Mathis and Tracey Kemble

Kiran Mazumda-Shaw

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Joseph Shepard

Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., and Therese Marie Hansen

Zarin Mehta and Carmen Lasky

Jim Messina, Obama's deputy chief of staff

Judd Miner and Linda Miner

Newt Minow and Josephine Minow

Sunil Bharti Mittal

Kalpen Modi, associate director in the Office of Public Liaison

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Deborah Mullen

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

Indian National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan

Shantanu Narayen and Reni Narayen

Raju Narisetti and Durga Raghunath

Martin Nesbitt, Obama's friend, and Anita Blanchard

Maya Soetoro-Ng, Obama's half-sister, and Konrad Ng

Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo.

Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., and Joan Obey

Peter Orszag, White House budget director

Jim Owens and Katie Owens

Deepak Parekh

Eboo Patel and Shehnez Mansuri

Gov. Deval Patrick, D-Mass., and Diane Patrick

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Paul Pelosi

Dan Pfeiffer, White House communications director

Sam Pitroda and Anjana Pitroda

Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, and Alma Powell

Rachakonda Prabhu and Lata Shete Prabhu

Penny Pritzker and Brian Traubert

Kavita Ramdas

Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao

Preetha Reddy

Gov. Ed Rendell, D-Pa., and Marjorie Rendell

Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications

Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Ian Cameron

Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., and Barbara Richardson

Robin Roberts of ABC News

Marian Robinson, the first lady's mother

Timothy Roemer, U.S. ambassador to India, and Mary Johnston

Desiree Rogers, White House social secretary

John Rogers

Christina Romer, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers

Dennis Ross, of the National Security Council

Rep. Edward Royce, R-Calif., and Marie Therese Royce

Michael Sacks and Cari Sacks

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., and James Sullivan

Pankaj Saran, joint secretary to Indian prime minister

Shyam Saran, special envoy to Indian prime minister

Jaideep Sarkar, personal secretary to Indian prime minister

Parag Saxena

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., and Robert Creamer

Phil Schiliro, assistant to the president for legislative affairs, and Jody Schiliro

Annetta Seecharran and Seema Agnani

Stuart Seldowitz, acting director for South Asia at the National Security Council

Amartya Sen and Emma Georgina Rothschild

Rajiv J. Shah, undersecretary of agriculture for research, education and economics

Sonal Shah, deputy assistant to the president and director of the White House Domestic Policy Council's Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

Vinod Shah

Meera Shankar, India's ambassador in Washington

Susan Sher, assistant to the president and chief of staff to the first lady, and Neil Cohen

M. Night Shyamalan, movie director, and Bhavna Shyamalan

Amrit Singh and Analjit Singh

Arun K. Singh, deputy chief of mission for the Indian Embassy

Balvinder Singh and Mohinder Singh

Lakhwinder Singh and Sukhbir Kaur

Upinder Singh

Steven Spielberg, movie director

Sri Srinivasan and Carla Garrett

Srinija Srinivasan

Jim Steinberg, deputy secretary of state, and Sherburne Bradstreet

Semonti Stephens, deputy press secretary for the first lady

Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, and Anna Burger, Change to Win chairwoman

Jane Stetson and Bill Stetson

Larry Summers, director of the National Economic Council, and Elisa New

Mona Sutphen, White House deputy chief of staff, and Clyde Williams

Ratan Tata

Tina Tchen, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement

Vinai Thummalapally, U.S. ambassador to Belize, and Barbara Thummalapally

Jim Torrey and Rose P. Lynch

Richard Trumka and Paul H. Lemmon

Urvashi Vaid and Kate Clinton

Kirk Wagar and Crystal Connor

Eric E. Whitaker and Cheryl Whitaker

Brian Williams of NBC News and Jane Williams

Wellington Wilson and Mrs. Wilson (first name was not given)

Neal Wolin, deputy treasury secretary

Alfre Woodard, actress, and Blair E. Underwood, actor

Fareed Zakaria and Paula Throckmorton Zakaria

 

 

[Courtesy: The Globe & Mail, with reports from The Washington Post and The Associated Press]

November 25, 2009

Conversation about this article

1: Baljit Singh (Chandigarh, Punjab), November 25, 2009, 12:09 PM.

Dr. Manmohan Singh makes us all so-o proud! He makes India look civilized. It breaks my heart, though, to see how we, the Sikhs, are once again helping these ungrateful beggars in India to stand up again.

2: Gurjender Singh (Maryland, U.S.A.), November 25, 2009, 12:33 PM.

This is first time that any President did this - President Obama, while welcoming Dr. Mammohan Singh, referred to the recent Guru Nanak Gurparab celebration at the White house. I salute President Obama and P.M. Manmohan Singh for doing this.

3: Luvleen Kaur (Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada), November 25, 2009, 12:49 PM.

I must admit that I have mixed feelings about Dr. Manmohan Singh. I am grateful that as Prime Minister of India he wears a turban and that the turban through him has received a lot of positive 'visibility' - I thank God for small mercies! On the other hand, having observed his actions (or rather his inactions) towards Sikhs as well as having gotten to know the thoughts and views of those Sikhs born and raised in India, I cannot help coming to the conclusion that there is some inherent lack of 'self-esteem' and an 'inferiority complex' in these Sikhs of which Dr. Manmohan Singh is a glaring example. There appears to be a burning desire within them to get the 'approval of', or worse still, to 'save' the Hindus in one way or another ... a deep need to be accepted, which history proves never has and probably never will happen! It brings to mind a psychological disorder known as "Stockholm Syndrome" where by someone held and abused against their will, will often over time begin to associate themselves with the abuser in order to survive and will go so far as to often defend the abuser if the abuser is threatened. I mean no disrespect to anyone but I am trying to make sense of the last 25 years and people's reaction to it!

4: Jessie Singh Parmar (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada), November 25, 2009, 1:26 PM.

I have my reservations about Dr. Manmohan Singh. And who are his successors? After he retires, who do we look up to - Badal?

5: Natalee Singh (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), November 25, 2009, 1:59 PM.

For those Sikhs who still believe that India will go against the grain of its history and credit will be given to a Sikh Prime Minister for bringing India out of the financial dark ages ... they should view the interview with Ramachandra Guha by Charlie Rose http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/8861. Here Charlie Rose categorically asks Guha whether credit should be given to Dr. Manmohan Singh first as Finance Minister and later as P.M. of India for India's current success. Guha goes to great pains to ensure Prime Minister N. Rao is not left out of the equation for promoting Dr. Singh and setting the foundation for India's success. History, as they say, has a tendency to repeat itself unless we learn from it!

6: Malvinder Singh (Edison, New Jersey, U.S.A.), November 26, 2009, 5:30 PM.

Please guys, cut the P.M. some slack. Manmohan Singh is first and foremost, the Prime Minister of 1,200 million Indians and, if you have forgotten, an over whelming majority of them, as many as 1,180 million among these Indians, are not Sikhs. He needs to firstly and primarily accomplish what is good for India. And his philosophy and very rightly so - while holding that post - is "What is good for India is good for Sikhs". He has done India proud and he has done Sikhs proud. He is to be saluted and admired. There should not be any other emotion or opinion about him.

7: G.C. Singh (U.S.A.), November 26, 2009, 6:03 PM.

In the context of the Indian political system, Manmohan Singh no doubt is the most honest and humble politician since Lal Bahadur Shastri. While he has not taken millions of dollars like almost all other Indian politicians, he has been open to political and other unsavory compromises which his party has done to maintain its grip on power. He may lack charisma, but as a world renowned economist, he is the chief architect of India's economic resurgence by instituting free market policies and partially dismantling the license quota system. But in spite of this unmatched service to India, he could not get elected as a Member of Parliament from the most literate and well off Hindu constituency of New Delhi, which perhaps benefited most from his policies. He was appointed Prime Minister in a quirk of fate when Sonia Gandhi, because of her foreign birth, could not become P.M. due to vehement opposition from RSS/Hindu fundamentalist organizations. For Sikhs, he has been a mixed bag. Although we may have gotten some limited exposure on the world stage, Sikh issues and and massive crimes against Sikhs committed by the Indian state have been kept under the rug by his symbolic presence as the Prime Minister. The Indian state, a sworn enemy of the Sikhs, has become much more powerful - economically, politically and militarily under his leadership. We should not overlook the fact that he represented India in Geneva in 1993 and defended its record of horrific human rights abuses against Sikhs. In our euphoria of watching a turban in the White House and the symbolic pomp and show, let us not forget that Manmohan Singh is just a blip in the larger scheme of things. The real India is run by forces that are bent upon our occupation and assimilation and that in not too distant a future, a rude awakening is waiting for the Sikhs.

8: Natalee Singh (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), November 26, 2009, 9:32 PM.

G.C. Singh ji - well said! I couldn't have put it better myself ...

9: Raj (Canada), November 26, 2009, 10:39 PM.

Remember, given the chance, India's new Brahmin elite will not hesitate to show Sikhs their real place in that country right under the leadership of "The Father of Modern India". This time around, if we let it happen, Sikhs may not recover from it.

10: B.F. (Sacramento), November 27, 2009, 4:24 AM.

The article fails to mention that the Bay Area Bhangra Empire was invited and performed at the event.

11: Kulwant Singh (India), November 27, 2009, 10:09 AM.

While commenting on Dr.Singh, we should have a proper perspective of his strengths and weaknesses. On the whole, his contribution is positive and it has been acknowledged by this nation and the world.

12: Pushpinder (Canada), November 27, 2009, 10:45 AM.

"Awal Allah noor upaya kudrat ke sab bandey// Ek noor sab sat jag upgaya kaun bhale kaun mandey" - I think Manmohan Singh does not just represent Sikhs and he is primary concern is to solve his country's problems. He is a true Sikh and trying to follow the Guru's teachings. I salute him for trying to do some real good.

13: Natalee Singh (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), November 27, 2009, 1:36 PM.

How ironic that in an unprecedented move, Amnesty International wrote a letter on November 18th to President Obama urging him to discuss this issue of the Nov 1984 pogroms with P.M. Manmohan Singh when they meet ... it takes an American President to remind a Sikh P.M. of the human rights of the Sikhs in India! Yes, Pushinder, he is being a "true Sikh" and following the Guru's teachings - but is ignoring the suffering of innocent Sikhs and concerning himself with the 'saving' of India and its Hindus ... What a joke!

14: Sohan Singh (Canada), November 27, 2009, 3:12 PM.

Pushpinder - I believe the words "kudrat ke sab bandey" quoted above refers to all mankind and not just mainstream India! Being a true Sikh means helping everyone, not just the ruling majority; it means acknowledging the pain and suffering of the innocent such as the families of those missing in the Punjab and the pogroms of Nov 1984 who are still waiting for justice! Sikhi is inclusive and that includes those Sikhs who are unable to defend themselves, not just the majority Hindus.

15: Sara Kaur (U.S.A.), November 27, 2009, 7:24 PM.

What a contrast! The first black President of the United States stands tall and handsome; the great hope of the black people but inclusive of everyone, next to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, the distinguished but understated Manmohan Singh: but, sadly, a disappointment to his own people! It appears that the man chose to apply his talents only for the nenefit of the Hindu majority, forgetting the Sikhs of 1984, the Muslims of 2002 and the Christians of 2009!

16: Pushpinder (Canada), November 30, 2009, 11:56 AM.

I don't know what else the people who post comments here expect from Dr. Manmohan Singh. The question for them to ask themselves is what they have done for Sikhi or to help the 1984 pogrom victims. Secondly, this anger or disappointment should be directed towards career Sikh politicians from Punjab and Delhi rather than Dr. Manmohan Singh.

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