NEW DELHI — President Obama pressed India on Tuesday to do more to curb the pollution that is choking its capital and contributing to global climate change, as he wrapped up a visit that yielded no meaningful breakthrough on the
issue.
issue.
While
India and the United States agreed to cooperate in promoting cleaner
energy, Mr. Obama left after three days without the sort of specific
commitment to curbing greenhouse gases that he won in China last year.
Instead, he used a farewell speech before his departure to argue that
India had an obligation to step up, despite its economic challenges.
“I
know the argument made by some — that it’s unfair for countries like
the United States to ask developing nations and emerging economies like
India to reduce your dependence on the same fossil fuels that helped
power our growth for more than a century,” Mr. Obama told an audience of
1,500 mostly young Indians at Siri Fort Auditorium on the final day of
his trip here.
“But
here’s the truth,” he added. “Even if countries like the United States
curb our emissions, if countries that are growing rapidly like India
with soaring energy needs don’t also embrace cleaner fuels, then we
don’t stand a chance against climate change.”
The
president’s remarks came during a speech with a broader tough-love
message, lavishing praise on India and pledging friendship while
challenging it to cut back on human rights abuses. He urged India to
protect the rights of girls and women, combat human trafficking and
slavery, promote religious and racial tolerance, and empower young
people.
“America
can be India’s best partner,” he said to applause, and he repeated his
support for India to become a permanent member of the United Nations
Security Council. “But as I’ve said before, with power comes
responsibility.”
It
was a notably pointed speech at the end of a trip dominated by displays
of affection. But Mr. Obama had come under pressure from advocacy
groups at home not to leave India without delivering a strong appeal for
human rights in a country proud of its democracy.
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Just before the speech, in fact, he met with Kailash Satyarthi,
the Nobel Peace laureate who has long fought child slavery in India.
Mr. Satyarthi told the president that there were still five million
child slaves worldwide.
Mr. Obama’s speech was aimed partly at his newfound friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
who has been criticized for not doing more to protect political
dissent, guard against sectarian discrimination and tackle human
trafficking. In effect, Mr. Obama was saying that their developing
partnership did not mean Mr. Modi would get a free pass.
But
as he often does overseas, Mr. Obama couched his sharp comments with an
acknowledgment that the United States had its own flaws, an effort to
avoid looking too much like he was lecturing. He cited his own
experiences as an African-American. “Even as America has blessed us with
extraordinary opportunities, there were moments in my life where I’ve
been treated differently because of the color of my skin,” he said.
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Mr.
Obama appeared particularly impassioned as he talked about the need to
stop treating women as second-class citizens. “Every girl’s life
matters,” he said, as his wife, Michelle Obama, watched from the
audience. “Every daughter deserves the same chance as our sons. 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 respect and dignity. She
deserves that.”
In
a country where human rights groups say tens of millions of people are
subject to forced labor, Mr. Obama added that India needed to crack down
on that problem. “Together, we can stand up against human trafficking
and work to end the scourge of modern-day slavery,” he said. But he did
not mention the case of an Indian diplomat who was arrested in New York after being accused of exploiting her housekeeper, an episode that roiled the countries’ relationship for a time.
Mr.
Obama tried to link India’s aspirations for its future to America’s own
efforts to build a better society, noting similarities between the
constitutions of the two countries and the diversity of large,
multicultural societies.
“As
Americans, we believe in the promise of India,” he said. “We believe in
the people of India. We are proud to be your friend. We are proud to be
your partner as you build the country of your dreams.”
That
message was noticed beyond the auditorium. “Here is a world leader, who
is the prime minister’s friend, and he is saying, ‘This will cost you
if you don’t stop. You’re stepping up to the high table, and sitting at
the high table requires you to play by certain rules,’ ” Praveen Swami, a
journalist, said on the television news channel NDTV.
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