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WhenleadersleadTheHindu
Today'sPaperOPINION
Whenleaderslead
BothU.S.PresidentBarackObamaandCubanleaderRalCastromustbecommendedfordoingthingstheir
predecessorsfailedtodoinestablishingdiplomaticrelationsbetweentheircountries.Withtheirdecision,negotiated
secretlyoverthepasttwoyearswiththehelpoftheVaticanandtheCanadiangovernment,restrictionsontravel,
bankingandbusinesswillbeeased,asprisonersheldinbothcountriesarerepatriated.PresidentObamahasalso
promisedtopushforanendtothetradeembargowithCubathroughCongress,whosepermissionheneedstore
establishfullrelationswiththeestrangedCaribbeanneighbour.RelationsbetweentheU.S.andCubaweresnapped
afterMr.CastrosrevolutionarybrotherFidelCastroseizedpowerin1959andestablishedacommuniststate,
nationalisingallassets.TheU.S.sattempttodeposeFidelCastro,famouslycalledtheBayofPigsinvasion,failedin
1961.Sincethen,thetwocountrieshavewastednoopportunitytohurteachothersinterests,unevenlymatchedasthey
were.TheU.S.wasunabletogetothercountriestobackitssanctionsagainstCuba,whileCubahasobviouslysuffered
economicallyforitsisolation,evenasitseconomytookaseveredownturnafterthecollapseofitsally,theSoviet
Union,in1991andthewithdrawalofsubsidiesbyRussiasubsequently.
Since2008,afterFidelCastrohandedoverchargetoRalCastro,thecountryembarkedonaseriesofeconomic
reforms,andamongstotherimportantchangesopenedachannelofnegotiationswithPresidentObama.Mr.Obama
stillhassomeheavyliftingaheadofhim:theRepublicans,whocounttheCubanrefugeecommunityintheU.S.
amongstitssupporters,havealreadyannouncedtheywouldopposethemove.Withtheirdecision,announced
simultaneouslyinWashingtonandHavana,thetwoleadershavechosentoputthedominantnarrativeofrancourand
hypernationalismasideinfavourofwhatMr.Obamasaidwasinthebestinterestsofbothcountries.Indiahasdone
welltoimmediatelyextenditsgreetingstobothcountriesonthedecision.NewDelhimaydoevenbettertoheedMr.
ObamasreasoningforthismostsignificantchangeinU.S.policy,whichhitscloserhome,especiallyforMr.Modi,
IndiasfirstPrimeMinisterbornafterPartition.BoththeU.S.anditssmallerneighbourCuba,saidtheU.S.President,
hadbeenhardlywellservedbyarigidpolicythatisrootedineventsthattookplacebeforemostofuswereevenborn.
TheNobelPrizewinningAmericanauthorErnestHemingway,wholivedinCubaforyears,famouslywrote:Every
manslifeendsthesameway.Itisonlythedetailsofhowhelivedandhowhediedthatdistinguishonemanfrom
another.
http://www.thehindu.com/todayspaper/tpopinion/whenleaderslead/article6709928.ece
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