"I am friend of India for life"- Japanese PM Shinjo Abe

SK Singh *

PM Narendra Modi reached Japan on Saturday the 27th Oct to attend the 13th India-Japan annual summit. On Sunday while welcoming the Indian PM into his holiday home overlooking the iconic Mount Fuji, the Japanese PM Shinjo Abe described Modi as ‘one of my most dependable and valuable friends’ and spiced it up by announcing that he would be a ‘friend of India for life’.

Of course, while attempting to establish his invaluable appreciation of India, a modest Abe tried to trace his roots by recalling his grandfather Kishi who happened to be the PM of Japan during the days of Jawaharlal Nehru. Abe recalled, “At the time when Japan was not so wealthy, PM Nehru introduced PM Kishi in front of thousands of people as the Japanese PM whom he respects”. Continuing Abe said, “Engraving the history in my heart, I have devoted myself to nurturing this friendship with India”.

History apart, the lovable outpourings of the Japanese PM to a visiting Head of State is only natural; the Indian PM was closeting with the Japanese PM and that too in none other than Japan. Usually choice words are carefully crafted when two Heads of States meet and the best of rhetoric in diplomatic parlance is often in show in their dealings and meetings that follow. On the top of that Japan irrespective of being a PM or an Abe or one grand- son of a former PM, is known the world over as the most hospitable, amenable and accommodative. It’s no wonder that PM Narendra Modi was received in the most cordial atmosphere in Japan by his counterpart Shinjo Abe with best of acclamation, one expects in a life time.

That said, it goes without much reiteration that Narendra Modi has his own traits to be loved, more so liked, knowing full well his ingredients that make Narendra Modi. Without much elaboration, I proudly recall a couple of years back, perhaps 2016, when he addressed the US Congress.

In his address of 43 minutes, touching various areas ranging from science and technology or IT where the Indians shine in the US, the contribution of Indian- Americans to the growth of America, the rising trade spectrum between the two countries, the prospects of investment in India, the Make-in-India Campaign and the like when he even touched in light vein though, the shining of the Indian- American children doing excellent in Scripps National Spelling Bee competitions ( of course, Indian children in standards VI, VII or VIII win the trophy through 2015, 16,17 and 18, a feat by any standard internationally); there were 13 standing ovations.

General clapping or should we term ovations were innumerable and would miss anybody’s count. That was Modi in his fluency in running through the several issues extempore, not a piece of paper in hand to refer to. And his demeanor in the narration, his theatrics in the speech, in his discourse was just pleasing.

Despite these positive qualities, in the arena of diplomacy, people tend to overact a little too high, too often. And the PMs of Japan and for that matter of India couldn’t be too far behind for they invariably belonged to the same tribe ‘politician’ who by virtue of their very profession and religion had to act conspicuously; indulge in a bit of high pitch diplomacy, conceal the real-self and adopt rhetoric overtures more often than not. So when the Japanese PM talked about his love of India and of Modi and that his love was ‘for life’, perhaps there could be an element of extreme ‘avatar’ of diplomacy.

Modi apart, even keeping aside ‘diplomacy’, how do the average Indians fair in very general way? Are they liked, if not ordained by people in other countries? Are they known for being a little out of tune in the open, I mean outside the home, be they aggressiveness or talkative often excessively or far more argumentative, feisty assertive, sometimes armed with element of selfishness to the extreme, egoistic to the extreme, you mention any negative quality, they possess or should I say, we possess.

In international flights, Indian citizens are classified as the chattiest according to a global survey conducted by online travel agency ‘Expedia’. The finding sums up something like “Imagine that you’re sitting in a plane, eyes closed in preparation for take-off, when the passenger next to you chooses that moment to strike up a conversation, that stranger is probably from India”.

Does this add to our polity anyway? We are also ranked No.1 in asking fellow passengers to switch seats in order to sit next to a colleague, friend or loved one. And among the Indians, Delhiites most often engage in this behavior with a pc of 49, though the silver lining could be that Pune residents tend not to. Our attitudes take a dip in that around 52% of those covered in the survey do not mind waking up a sleeping passenger in the aisle seat to get to their own. Do we claim to be well in the arena of civic decency? These are trifling; more are in store. Let’s see.

I had two three live experiences when Indians would be shed in poor light in foreign countries. One, I would try to recall; particularly it was a classic case of how we behave abroad. Years back, I happened to return from Seoul, trying to catch an Air India flight from Hong Kong to New Delhi. I happened to be the first to reach when the counter was not even opened.

I kept waiting when three Indians, conspicuous by their ways unique of being Indian, two ladies rather fattish in their salwar-kameez accompanied by another guy, heavy-looking in the ways most boys do in Western Indian cities. As was usual in the Indian style, they kept busy talking among themselves that too rather loud. Little did they know that the man sitting around in the person of myself too was an Indian and he followed the language they used?

The whole drama unfolded as the counter was opened. I reported for boarding when the fat guy who had been busy talking and listening among the trio came from behind at my back for reporting. It didn’t end there; more exposures were in store that truly was again unique of the mind-set of main land Indians in general. He touched me on my shoulder from back and demanded that he came there before me.

This real life incident is enough for us to go a little deeper. That young Indian’s body language was for sure, that I should step aside, make way for him to report and apologize for intrusion. The principal reason: he reportedly reached the counter before I did. Here three areas can be probed.

The counter was just opened, I reported first; he had three passengers busy talking, to report. Altogether four of us were three of us at the point of time. For one, he was mistaken, they came after I reached. For another, even when they happened to arrive first, how it mattered, they were all locked in talking. Counter wouldn’t mind who reached first or later. They had to go by the ones who report. Third, the whole aircraft was in front of us, he could still wait for his turn, immediate next to me and still could ask for the best seat.

Any other country man would wait for his turn, even I, despite being Indian, would wait for my turn. Also I or for that matter, any other person, wouldn’t waste time and energy on arguing who came early or later given the situation referred to. Nobody would normally bother to the extent of touching somebody from behind, unlike our north Indian friends. His whole problem was, that complex called, ‘ego’ or ‘assertion’ and ‘aggressiveness’ even where these were not called for. And this attitude, this outlook is typical of Indians more when they are outside their homes.

Few instances of a Modi or a Man Mohan visiting a foreign country receiving the most glorious welcome wouldn’t change the general outlook of foreigners to Indians in general.