Oral comprehension and expression

OBAMA'S SPEECH TO INDIA:

SHARED DREAMS, FUTURE PARTNERSHIP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1dNuCG3sOA

Remarks by President Obama at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi, India

THE PRESIDENT : Thank you so much.         Thank you, everybody. Please, please, have a seat. Thank you so very much.

To the people of India, to the leaders and members of Parliament who are here today, thank you for the incredible welcome that you have given to me and to Michelle and to our daughters.

We have felt your kindness, and in the beauty of this nation, we have seen a reflection of the beauty of the world, all its colors and all its cultures. And you have made us feel very special, so we thank you.

I bring the friendship and greetings of the American people.        

I’m not the first American President to visit India. But I am the first President to visit India twice.         And I believe the first President to begin his visit in the city of Delhi -- (laughter) -- although I understand that President Eisenhower’s plane refueled here once, so he might have grabbed a samosa. (Laughter.)

I’ve come to India because I’m absolutely convinced that the friendship between our two nations is one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century. And it has to be. And it will be. And I’ve come because I deeply believe that America’s interests are tied to India’s success.        

Of course, our nations have not always agreed on everything. And like all friends, we’ve known tensions. But we’ve always been able to work through them, because we’re bound by shared values -- the conviction that all people are created equal and have the right to live in freedom and with faith; that democracy is the best way to reflect the will of a people and to unleash their potential; and that pluralism and unity and diversity are not weaknesses, they are strengths.

And we’re bound by shared ideals -- that no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, whether you’re from a small village or a big city, whether you’re a boy or a girl, whether you’re Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Jain, whether you’re a person of faith or not a person of faith, every person deserves the chance to live with dignity and opportunity.

And we’re bound by shared dreams -- for our children, and for our nations. And I believe that if we continue to strengthen our partnership, then the dreams that we share can be realized all across this nation and around the world.

So today, I want to talk about the future that we can build together. But I want to begin with the past, because our ties, of course, go back centuries.

When Indians first came to America, some as servants and some as slaves, they brought with them the dreams of a better day. When Swami Vivekananda came to Chicago and spoke to the great parliament of religions, he described a truth that is written on our hearts -- that there is a fundamental oneness to humanity. When an American President, decades ago, welcomed India’s first ambassador, he said that the relationship between our two countries was a natural union of hearts.        

And when American soldiers fought to liberate peoples from tyranny, they were joined by Indian soldiers who fought with extraordinary courage, from the mountains of Italy to the beaches of Burma. And when the guns fell silent, India’s fight for freedom was an inspiration to the American civil rights movement.         And when Dr. King came to India, he said that he was visiting “the land where the techniques of nonviolent social change were developed.” And we, as a people, are grateful for that.        

And when an American astronaut, Neil Armstrong, stepped on the moon, he spoke words that we can all understand, but he was followed, years later, by an Indian-American astronaut, Kalpana Chawla.         And she once said, “I never dreamed of being in this profession.” But she reached for the stars. And when her life tragically ended, we remembered her words: “The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it.”

So from servants to swamis, from soldiers to astronauts, from farmers to financiers, Indians and Americans have worked together, and learned from each other, and added to each other’s strength. And today, our nations are two global leaders, driven not to dominate other nations but to build a future of security and prosperity for all nations.

And that’s the partnership that we’re building. It’s why we’re expanding our trade and our partnerships, including our civil nuclear agreement.         It’s why we’re deepening our cooperation on everything from preventing disease, to preventing nuclear materials from falling into the hands of terrorists. It’s why we’re increasing our military cooperation, which was on display during the recent disaster in the Philippines, when our forces came together to help our friends in need.        

And it’s why we’re going to keep working to protect our planet, because I know that here in India, there is an ancient tradition of caring for the natural world. And as we work to combat climate change, America is committed to supporting India’s growth, because we believe that we can do this in a way that is consistent with our values and consistent with our obligation to leave a healthy planet for future generations.

So our partnership is broad, it is deep, it is multifaceted. But I believe that if we’re going to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of this new century, then we have to do more. And that’s why I’m here. We have to do more to empower our people, to empower our young people, especially. And that has to start with the most basic ingredient of human progress -- and that’s education.

In both America and India, we have to make sure that every child, everywhere, has access to a world-class education.         And that starts with making sure that every child has a good teacher.         And I’m proud that we’re going to be launching a new partnership to train hundreds of thousands of teachers in India.        

We have to make sure that every child has a classroom. And that’s why we’re going to be working together to bring quality education to children across India, especially girls.         Because when girls are educated, their future children are healthier and better educated, and nations are more prosperous.

And we have to make sure that every child has the same opportunity to go to college and get the skills that they need to succeed in the 21st century. And that’s why we’re going to be expanding exchanges between our students and our colleges.         And I’m pleased that we have more Indian students in America than from any other country.         And I believe that if we continue to strengthen our educational ties, then young people in both our countries can work together to find cures for diseases like cancer and diabetes, or build the cities of the future, or unlock the next wave of innovation and technology and growth.

And that brings me to the second area where we have to do more -- and that’s on the issue of economic growth. We have to do more to unleash the power of our economies to create opportunity for our people.

Now, I know that there’s been some controversy about the pace of economic reforms here in India. But I also know that India has already lifted hundreds of millions of people from poverty; that there’s a growing middle class with more disposable income; that there’s been incredible growth in the high-tech sector; and that India is the world’s largest democracy.

So I believe that if we continue on the path that lies ahead, then India’s transformation will continue. And America wants to be a partner in this process. We want to be a partner in creating the jobs and the industries of the future. We want to be a partner in making it easier to do business, and in building the infrastructure -- the roads, the ports, the airports -- that will help connect this vast nation and create more opportunities.

And we want to be a partner in a trade and investment relationship that creates jobs in both our countries. Because the United States is already one of India’s largest trading partners. And our exports to India have grown by 60 percent. And Indian investments in America have created tens of thousands of jobs. And I believe we can do even more.

And that’s why we’re going to keep working to break down barriers to doing business, and to make it easier for American companies to invest here, and for Indian companies to invest in America. And that’s why we’re going to keep working to conclude an ambitious trade partnership in the region -- because we believe that it can create more jobs and more growth for all of our people.

And that’s why I’m calling for us to renew the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.         And we’re going to be moving forward with that.

And that’s why we’re going to keep working to make it easier for our businesses to partner in the defense sector, so that India can strengthen its military with the best technology in the world, and we can strengthen our partnership for peace and security.

And that brings me to the third area where we have to do more -- and that’s on the issue of security. We have to do more to keep our people safe.

We live in a world of grave threats. And as I’ve said before, I believe that the number one threat to the security of nations and to the peace of the world is terrorism. And we have to continue to stand together against all forms of terrorism.        

And that’s why we’re deepening our cooperation against terrorist networks. We’re increasing our intelligence-sharing. We’re working together to ensure the security of our cities and our nuclear facilities. We’re working to prevent attacks, and we’re working to bring those who commit attacks to justice.

And we’re also working together to secure the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons.         And we’re working together to secure the seas, from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. And we’re working together to promote the peaceful resolution of disputes, and to stand up for the rights of all nations to freedom of navigation and overflight.

And we’re working together to strengthen the international system, so that it’s more capable of preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and it’s more capable of preventing conflicts, and it’s more capable of providing humanitarian assistance when disaster strikes.

And we’re working together to promote the democratic values that we share. And that includes the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion.         And it includes the freedom to govern ourselves. And it includes the freedom to live as we choose. And it includes the freedom to love as we choose.        

And we have to acknowledge, no society is immune from the darkest impulses of man. And we have to guard against any effort to divide ourselves along sectarian lines or any other lines.         And we have to protect the rights of all of our people -- men and women, Hindus and Muslims, Christians and Sikhs.

And that’s why we’re working together to promote gender equality.         Because when women succeed, nations succeed.         And that’s why we’re working together to promote the rights of all people, including people with disabilities.         And that’s why we’re working together to promote the rights of all children, including children with disabilities.        

And that’s why we’re working together to promote the rights of all people to live free from fear and free from want.

And that’s why we’re working together to promote the rights of all people to practice their faith freely.         And that includes the right of all people to practice no faith at all.        

And we have to acknowledge that there have been times where we have fallen short of our ideals. And we have to be honest about that. And we have to speak out against the attacks on churches and mosques, and the discrimination that is practiced here and in other places.        

But we also have to remember that our nations are strongest when we see ourselves in each other. When we recognize that no matter who we are, no matter where we come from, no matter what we look like, no matter what our last name is, no matter what faith we practice, we are all equal in the eyes of God.        

And that’s the vision that we have to keep striving for. And that’s the vision that has to guide us as we move forward.

So, finally, let me just say this. I know that there are going to be challenges ahead. I know that there are going to be difficulties. I know that there are going to be times where we get frustrated. But I also know that we have to keep going. We have to keep working. We have to keep striving.

Because the story of India and America is still being written. The next chapter is ours to write. And it will be written by the young people who are here today.         It will be written by the young people in this country who are dreaming of a better future. It will be written by the young people in America who are dreaming of a better future.

And I believe that if we continue to work together, if we continue to trust each other, if we continue to stand together, then the future that we dream of can be realized. The future where our children live in peace and security. The future where our children live in prosperity and opportunity. The future where our children can pursue their dreams, no matter who they are or where they come from.

That’s the future that we have to seek. And I’m confident that we can achieve it. So, thank you very much.         Thank you, India. Jai Hind!         And long live the partnership between India and the United States.