Mumbai: Democracies across the world, including US and India, are at crossroads and
there is a need to stand up against the chaos to protect democracy, said
Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Secretary of State of the United States at the
concluding session of the India Today Conclave 2018.
“Never before we needed your
(India’s) energy like now. There is a need to speak against sexism, racism and
stand up at this crossroad moment. Don’t give way to anger, resentment and
disappointment. Stay engaged, speak out,” Clinton said in her keynote address,
titled ‘The Great Churn: What Happens Now’.
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Clinton said both US and India are facing serious undercurrents that are threatening to strike at the roots of democracy. “He (US President Donald Trump) will damage it. However, it will be reparable,” she added.
Talking at length about the situation in the US post
the 2016 US Presidential elections which she lost to realty tycoon turned
politician Trump, Clinton said that she did not have a problem with a power
difference in her country but was worried about fewer debates on pertinent
issues, that will take it towards one-party dominance. “That is the situation
in Washington at present,” she said.
When Aroon Purie, Chairman and
Editor-in-Chief of India Today Group asked Clinton whether US deserved a
president like Trump, she was quick to say “No.” She also said that Trump could
not understand why a country that has nuclear weapons did not use them.
Clinton on immigrant’s issue
Clinton counted reaction against
the immigrants as one of the reasons behind Trump’s win. She said US has
immigrants from Latin America, India and China. They are hard working and law
abiding, but there was a campaign against the immigrants. Trump’s campaign of
‘Make America Great Again’ was backward. “I won from the places which has 2/3rd
share in the gross domestic product.” She also admitted that a smearing
campaign was on, saying she was going to jail. “That stopped my momentum and
decreased my votes,” she said.
On US foreign policy
Expressing concerns on changes in
the US foreign policy post 2016, Clinton said the new administration is in
hurry to dispose of the earlier relations the US had painstakingly stitched
with other countries. “It is a shame that US is the only country that is not
part of the Paris climate change accord. He (Trump) is undoing and rejecting everything
done before. He takes ideas from the right wing media.”
Afghanistan is an ongoing
disappointment
Talking about stability within
India’s neighbours, she pointed that Afghanistan is an ongoing disappointment.
She also hit at Pakistan for offering shelter to terrorists. “We tried
different things, but when you have safe haven and not consistent support to
weed out terrorists, it is difficult to find a solution.” She also revealed
that she had recommended President Barack Obama to conduct a raid on Osama Bin
Laden who was hiding in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
To a question whether she would
run again for President, Clinton said she had no plans to do so. “I won’t run
again. I will be delighted if 2020 we are back on right track. I want to work
for people’s betterment.”
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