Why Hillary chose Chennai?

It was a very rare incident. Officials at the US embassy, Chennai said it is for the first time an event of such high profile has happened. The party cadres of AIADMK are overwhelmingly happy. They have already started to call their 'Amma' as the 'Leader of World Tamils'.

The Hillary-Jayalalithaa meeting pictures are flashed in every newspaper advertisements by the party men. After all, international leaders like the US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton flying down to Chennai and meeting the Chief Minister is not an ordinary event. It was an extraordinary gesture as a city like Chennai was chosen by a US Secretary of State to give a speech on her vision on Indo-US relations in the 21st century, when normally such a high profile speeches are strictly reserved for New Delhi.

What made Hillary to come to Chennai, as the first serving Secretary of state to do so? '' Why are we coming to India so often and welcoming Indian officials to Washington as well? It’s because we understand that much of the history of the 21st century will be written in Asia, and that much of the future of Asia will be shaped by decisions not only of the Indian government in New Delhi, but of governments across India, and perhaps, most importantly, by the 1.3 billion people who live in this country” earlier Hillary Clinton explained in her vision for the 21st century speech in Anna Centenary Auditorium in the city.

''The reason for her visit to Chennai is the growing investments here by US companies. Chennai is seen as an important investment hub in automobile industry. Moreover, a women has been newly elected as the Chief Minister here. While the Hilary's visit was aimed at cultural interaction, all these things just were felt suitable for the US officials concerned,” said an official to TSI who was in the know of Hillary's visit to Chennai. During the interaction, the CM of Tamil Nadu has rightly made invitations for more US investments in automobile sector in the state, as per the claims of the press release by the TN government. In the automotive and auto components industry, Tamil Nadu is aspiring to become a global hub and the state is more ready to work together with the US government in these areas.

Apart from various issues Sri Lankan Tamil issue was also discussed. Hillary has shared Jayalalithaa's concerns and said that the US is looking at some innovative and creative ideas in breaking this impasse and enabling the Sri Lankan Tamils who were uprooted from their homes to go back to their own homes. This discussion between the two gained importance in the next day as the US congressional committee on external affairs has voted to stop all US aids to Sri Lanka till the government shows some accountability in punishing those involved in war, crimes and human rights abuse there. Hillary's visit has benefited both Chennai and Jayalalithaa. It has helped raising the status of both.