New Delhi: Former US President Barack Obama delivered a special address at the HT Leadership Summit partnered by CNN-News18, where he hailed the special relationship between India and US. The former president also weighed in on the Narendra Modi vs Manmohan Singh debate, saying both had India-US relations in mind.
Here’s a look at Obama’s top quotes from the summit:
— India and US have much in common. Our two constitutions begin with the same three words – We the people. We share the values of pluralism.
— Politicians are more of a mirror, reflecting citizens. If there are enough communities telling them divisiveness is not what we want, they will reflect them…. If you see a politician doing things that are questionable, then as a citizen you need to question if you are encouraging it.
— I am the first US president to have a dal recipe. I can cook chicken well. My chapatis are no good
— I know PM Narendra Modi believes in unity of India. My goal here is not to disclose every private conversation I have. I think his (Modi’s) impulses are to recognise Indian unity. I think he firmly believes unity is necessary for the progress of the nation
— Democracy is under threat today. I believe that a partnership between the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy is the key... The Internet has the ability to propagate propaganda that is destructive to democracies…. The distinction between us and them is dangerous
— I have more Twitter followers than people who use it more often ( a dig at Donald Trump)…. Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp are very powerful tools which can be used for both good and bad. We need to understand the challenges of these technologies. It leads to snap judgment.
— It (diversity speech in 2015 townhall in India) was a message to everyone. I have said the same thing privately to PM Modi. It’s happening across the world due to the changes taking place. There’s a collision of cultures
— After 26/11 Mumbai attacks, we were as obsessed as India with dismantling the terror network. Terrorism of any sort eventually affects everyone.
— I like him (PM Narendra Modi). I think he has a vision for the country… I was also great friends with Dr. Manmohan Singh. He laid the foundation of the modern Indian economy. The unifying theme in both leaders (Modi and Singh) during my tenure was the focus on India-US relations
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