India, US can be 'best partners'
US President Barack Obama urged India to promote religious tolerance and do more to combat global warming yesterday as he wrapped up a visit aimed at forging a new friendship between the world's largest democracies.
Speaking to an audience of mainly young people, Obama said the United States could be India's "best partner" but put pressure on his hosts over a range of political and social issues, including women's rights.
The US president also said their countries could forge "one of the defining partnerships of this century," even as he warned the war against climate change would not "stand a chance" without India.
The speech was the finale of a packed visit which has seen a dramatic upturn in an often troubled relationship, including the signing of a new "friendship" pact between Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India's right-wing premier was a pariah in Washington less than a year ago, but has since developed a close bond with Obama, with their two countries keen to counter-balance the rise of China.
"India and the United States are not just natural partners -- I believe that America can be India's best partner," said Obama after receiving a rapturous welcome from a group of around 1,500 people.
Obama, however, weighed in on two sensitive issues in India before departing for Saudi Arabia, saying women should not only have equal rights but be safe to "walk the street".
India was rocked by the fatal gang-rape of a student in Delhi in 2012 that unleashed seething anger about high levels of sexual violence and a round of soul-searching about its treatment of women.
Obama also urged respect for religion in officially secular India, where the election of Hindu nationalist Modi has given rise to fears among the country's large Muslim minority.
"Every person has the right to practice their faith how they choose, or to practice no faith at all, and to do so free of persecution and fear of discrimination," he said.
Both Obama and Modi have been at pains to demonstrate their personal rapport during the visit and announced a breakthrough on a long-stalled nuclear power deal on Sunday.
Obama was also chief guest at Monday's Republic Day parade -- one of the biggest honours that India can bestow on a foreign leader.
The US is looking to reinvigorate alliances in the Asia-Pacific as part of Obama's "pivot" east, and has taken note of Modi's more assertive stance towards China.
Beijing claims sovereignty over large swathes of the South China Sea, home to maritime lanes that are vital to global trade, and is engaged in territorial disputes with a host of nations in the region.
But in his speech, Obama said "the freedom of navigation must be upheld and disputes must be resolved peacefully".
Speaking after their talks on Sunday, Modi said he would not be pressured on climate change by any country -- comments seen partly aimed at China after it agreed on new carbon emissions targets with the US.
But Obama warned the battle against global warming was doomed unless developing countries reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
"But here's the truth: even if countries like the United States curb our emissions, if growing countries like India -- with soaring energy needs -- don't also embrace cleaner fuels, then we don't stand a chance against climate change."
India has balked at committing itself to major cuts in carbon emissions ahead of a major climate summit in December, fearing they would undermine efforts to boost living standards in a country where much of the population of 1.2 billion live in poverty.
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