India's Best Ally In Washington

IT would be facetious to suggest that "India’s best ally in the Clintonadministration" was converted through cuisine. However, the owner ofWashington’s Bombay Club might insist otherwise and point out that the American FirstLady, her husband and daughter Chelsea use his downtown restaurant for special occasions.The last such occasion was on September 15, on the eve of the Clintons escorting theirdaughter to Stanford University. (Chelsea, incidentally, celebrated her 17th birthday atthe Bombay Club)

An examination of the order on September 15 (baingan bharta, aloo palak, navratankorma, dal makhani and the usual chicken tikka etc) shows that America’s FirstFamily’s knowledge of Indian food is more than passing.

The Gujrals (Inder and Sheila) met Hillary for the first time in Calcuttaduring Mother Teresa’s funeral. The scheduled 20-minute meeting continued for over anhour, with the First Lady completely bowled over by the dignity of the state funeral andhonours accorded to a Catholic nun—the Catholics constitute less than one per cent ofIndia’s total population. She praised India’s treatment of minorities.

Mrs Clinton told the Gujrals that she had fallen in love with India duringher first trip in March 1995 and she particularly recounted her encounter with Ela Bhattof SEWA, her visit to the Gandhi ashram and Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa had missed herflight to Delhi then, but the two met several times later. "I have loved it so far, Iwill love it tomorrow," she said just before her departure.

She confessed to the prime minister that she was gently twisting herhusband’s arm to make him decide on an early visit to India (it will probably takeplace in February 1998) and that she herself might stay on, in order to get a better feelof the country and do some more travelling.

In her hour-long conversation, Hillary paid tribute to the strength andresilience of Indian democracy and felt that the world’s largest and the mostpowerful democracy had a natural kinship. "They have stayed apart too long," sheobserved.

The First Lady’s office in the White House is adjacent to herhusband’s and it is common knowledge that she is his most trusted and influentialadvisor. She is not just a decorative wife like Jackie Kennedy, but passionatelyinterested in politics, women’s issues, health care and social reform.

When the prime minister met Clinton last week, the president began bythanking the Gujrals for the hospitality and warmth shown to his wife during her trip toCalcutta. He said he had got a first-hand account of the funeral from her.

It is easy to exaggerate Hillary Clinton’s influence onIndo-American relations, but there is no doubt India has a loyal supporter in Washingtonwho shares the bedroom of the most powerful politician on our globe. You cannot buy thatkind of lobbying for love or money.