New US envoy to India says hello in 10 languages

Washington, April 18 (IANS) Nancy Powell, who will be the first female American ambassador to India, arrives in New Delhi this week with an intimate video message of greetings subtitled in 10 Indian languages.

Wielding a much-used camera, Powell, 65, is shown walking around the National Mall in Washington DC as she speaks about her time in India from 1992 to 1995 when she served as a US Consul-General in Kolkata and a political counsellor in New Delhi.

"I am impressed by how much deeper and broader Indian-American relations have become and how much greater role India now plays in addressing the world's challenges," she said outlining her ambitious built on a "rock solid foundation."

The 2.36-minute video, released by the US embassy in New Delhi ahead of Powell's arrival, is subtitled in 10 Indian languages: Hindi, Urdu, Bangla, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Punjabi and Gujarati.

Powell, a former ambassador to Pakistan and Nepal, said she plans to travel to all corners of India, and that she sees India and the US "forming one of the definitive partnerships of the 21st century". She is also looking forward to walks in Lodhi Gardens in central New Delhi, she said.

But "I am not focused on reliving the past", she says, and speaks of capturing a "future of even stronger ties between US and India".

"Phir milenge," ("Till we meet again,") she concludes, just before flying off to New Delhi.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)