My Dear Bar,

Here is good news for you. I have just received a letter from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) thanking me for drawing its attention to your interview with the TIME magazine saying that but for my open letter to you; the MEA would not have come to know the mind of the putative President of America. That is you, of course. Now you know the importance of transparency in everything everybody does newspapers, TV, industry, professionals and the government, except in the bathroom and bedroom.

I wonder how the IB officer who visited me just two days back would take the MEA's letter to me. What the IB officer thought was a potential danger, the MEA thought was a help. MEA has asked me to 'please' explain why I thought "there seems to be a catch here for my country." Probably, they want to take my “opinion” and “reasoning” (certainly not advice) and then communicate with your office or with the US Ambassador here, David. C. Mulford.

Do you know Bar, what the Old Testament says? Of course I know you know more than what I know, including the Old Testament. But in this context let me recall the wisdom of the Book.

"I came and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, not yet favour to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all".

Wah! Indeed time and chance did happen to you on November 5, 2008 when you got elected to the office of the President of America. But don't think for a moment that you are the swiftest, strongest, wisest, richest and the most skilled. The time had come for the "change" and you had the premonition of it. That's all. Be humble and let our MEA know your mind honestly unlike all your predecessors in office.

As you will realise, we have not yet got over the tragedy and trauma of 26/11 and are still groping in the dark recesses of Pakistan politicians' and Army Generals' mind to catch the terrorists who perpetrated 26 / 11 and their patrons whom Pakistan is harbouring. Well, I say to you Bar, Pakistan itself is the patron with the ISI Chief Ahmed Shujad Pasha as its sutradara. This reminds me of the BBC which calls terrorists as "gunmen" whenever a terrorist attack takes place in my country. I think the Human Rights people should put BBC under a scanner and find out if it is under any obligation to the patrons of these terrorists.

Dear Bar, can you use your good offices and ensure the BBC calls a spade a spade and a terrorist a terrorist and not a gunman? Well, I should direct this question to our MEA rather than troubling you with this.

Now let me come to the MEA letter. You have spoken of Afghan problem being your key priority after Iraq in your foreign policy concerns. However, you have clubbed my country with a special mention of Kashmir as if it is also a country along with Iran and Pakistan. How could you do this? There is no internal conflict in India as in Afghanistan and Pakistan or as between Hamas and Israel that's going on now. We have certainly a dispute with Pakistan. That is, Pakistan should return the POK? Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. As you know Pakistan is using POK as a breeding ground of terrorists with any number of camps for this purpose. So we have a dispute with Pakistan, which should be resolved bilaterally under the Shimla agreement. And also a problem of terrorism, which Pakistan lets loose on my country frequently, the latest being 26 / 11.

Well, I think you will be more clear on these complex issues after 20th January, 2009.

Actually I would like you to know that the terror attack on India is a proxy war by Pakistan. It is a war of attrition along with the cross-border violence to take possession of the remaining part of Kashmir in a semi-military operation, like we saw in Kargil, a few years ago. But it is going to be a disappointment to Pakistan, as it has been since last 60 years. The just concluded Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir with over 60 % voting has already disillusioned the Hurriyat those seeking independence for J & K. Similarly the day is not far off for Pakistan to be disillusioned about its ambition on Jammu and Kashmir. Later I shall explain to you why J&K is important for India and India's minorities. Of course, we have other problems of our own. About them later.

You know Barry, sometimes I feel like surrendering to Lord Krishna as Pandavas did in Mahabharatha at the time of Kurukshetra war and wait for resolution of our problems and restoration of external and internal peace.

I also wonder why Lord Krishna is not taking rebirth to save my country as he has promised in “Bhagavadgita”, our holy book.

Similarly, I think dear Bar, as a good Christian you may also ask why Jesus Christ is not born again to wipe out these evils in the world. With Jesus as your strong supporting staff, you can indeed work wonders miracles in the world. Hmm! Sadly, it is not possible. Do you know why?

I have this on the authority of a great mystic who died recently and spoke to me from the high Heavens on his Nokia. It appears, the mystic explained to God about the falling standards of ethics and morals; the evil of corruption and violence in our society, the curse of terrorism and then asked the God: "Why was Jesus not born in the 21st century?"

The Lord God started laughing, it appears. And said: "Impossible! Impossible! Where would the 21st century people ever find three wise men or a virgin?"

Not even in an Ashram or a Cloister! Think about it Bar.

And as for answering the letter of MEA, I shall excuse myself saying, you are too busy right now and I shall revert to the subject with my opinion after 20th January, 2009. Or, may be, after the next terrorist attack (God forbid). Don't laugh dear Bar, nor throw up your hands. I will have problem trying to interpret your body language, if I get another letter from the MEA.

Yours Sincerely,
Gandhi