India nuke deals still thorny for America

NEW DELHI: India and America’s declaration of a breakthrough in contentious nuclear energy cooperation has been met with a lukewarm response from industry and analysts.

Few expect the potentially lucrative Indian market to suddenly become less complicated for US nuclear companies.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday gently nudged India to fulfill its constitution’s pledge to uphold the “dignity of the individual,” drawing on his own experience as a minority in the United States as he closed out a three-day visit to New Delhi.

Obama said that while he has had extraordinary opportunities, “there were moments in my life where I’ve been treated differently because of the color of my skin.”

Equality is enshrined in India’s constitution, but religious minorities and women have experienced harassment and violence. A horrific gang rape on a moving bus in the heart of New Delhi in 2012 sparked public protests, which prompted more stringent laws. But critics say more progress is needed and Obama gave voice to their cause.

“Every woman should be able to go about her day — to walk the street or ride the bus — and be safe and be treated with the respect and dignity that she deserves,” Obama said to applause from the audience of 1,500 at the Siri Fort Auditorium, a government-run event center.

Since taking office in May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often talked about women’s rights, urging Indians to treat sons and daughters equally.

Obama nodded to his wife as he noted that he’s married to a strong woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. “Our nations are strongest when we uphold the equality of all our people and that includes our women,” he said.

India is largely Hindu, with almost 80 percent following the faith. At over 12 percent Muslims are India’s largest minority, with Sikhs, Christians and Buddhists making up the rest. While religious groups largely coexist peacefully, the country has seen several flare ups of violence, primarily between Hindus and Muslims.

Obama said no society is immune from man’s darkest impulses, as he raised the 2012 shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin that killed six people.

Modi was denied was denied a visa to the US in 2005, three years after religious riots killed more than 1,000 Muslims in the Indian state where he was the top elected official.