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

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.â€?
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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@gmail.com