US ambassador Verma asks students to listen to parents

Jalandhar, May 21
US Ambassador Richard R. Verma on Thursday exhorted students to listen to their parents, "no matter what your position in life", and not to forget their roots.

"No matter where or when you are, no matter your position in life, always listen to your parents!" Verma said while addressing students and the faculty at the DAV College Commencement Ceremony, his father's alma mater, here.

Recalling the visit of the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the US in 2009, Verma said: "In the fall of 2009, I was an assistant secretary at the State Department -- this is the equivalent of a joint secretary under your system."

"It was President (Barack) Obama's first term and I was invited to the arrival ceremony at the White House for Prime Minister Singh. As you can imagine, this was pretty exciting, so I told my dad about it."

"And he says, 'You know, son, we and the prime minister, we are from the same place.' And my dad says, 'You should be sure to tell him that'."

"I said, 'Dad, there are 1 billion Indian people, it is mathematically impossible that all of you can be from the same place'. He says, 'Well, I'm telling you, you should tell the PM we are from the same place'. Thanks, dad, but I'm not doing that."

Narrating his experiences of meeting then prime minister Singh, Verma said: "So, the day of the event comes and I am standing in the receiving line. When my turn comes, President Obama says to the prime minister, 'This is Rich. He works at the State Department'."

"The prime minister looks at me, and says, 'Oh, your family is Indian,' I tell him 'Yes', the president nodding approvingly. 'Where is your father from?' I tell him northern India, Punjab. He asks where...and I tell him my dad is from Jalandhar. The prime minister then turns to President Obama and says, 'Oh, his father and I, we are from the same place'."

Before his address, Verma mingled freely with students to catch up with their vision of a new world and their hopes and aspirations.

Sixty-four years ago Verma's father K.D. Verma had passed out from this college.

"Just before today's ceremony, I visited one of his (dad's) classrooms in your historic building. I cannot begin to explain what a humbling honour it is to return to a place and an institution that has such a profound impact on my own life story. There is a part of me that just wants to stand up here and tell you family stories for the next hour or so."

"This community is special for me, not only because my dad graduated from here, but also because my grandmother lived here, and my mother went to high school here too. In fact, I lived with my grandmother in the Basti Shekh neighborhood in 1974, of which I still have clear memories," he recalled.

The ambassador said he was very excited about coming here for many reasons.

"This visit has offered me the opportunity to reflect more deeply on the meaning of what my father has been saying all those years. Why, after more than 60 years in two different countries, my father's connection to his roots here in India is as strong as ever," Verma said.

"And, why, no matter who it is, my father feels such a strong connection to people he's never even met. People whose own experiences might be much different than his."

Speaking on growing proximity between the world's two largest democracies - the US and India - the ambassador said: "I think Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi said it best in the recent issue of Time magazine, when he said that the real promise of the US-India relationship is not what we can do for each other - it's what we can do together for the world."

He said that was why President Obama came here (in New Delhi) in January to be the chief guest at the Republic Day, becoming the only US President to visit India twice during his term.

"He did so because he firmly believes - and I know the prime minister shares this view too - that if the US and India are the closest of friends and partners - indeed best partners - then the world will be a safer and more prosperous place."

"It's that simple. It's that powerful - this is the great promise of the world's two largest democracies coming together," Verma said.

"From sports, to education, to Bollywood and Hollywood, the possibilities of what we can do and create together are endless," he added.