After a three day visit to India estimated to cost $ 200 million per day President Obama has left for Indonesia. We wish him God speed. After handing over sovereignty of the country to US security services, causing immense hardship to citizens of Mumbai and Delhi and giving very expensive photo ops to criminal politicians we need to assess what we have gained from this visit apart from loads of hot air of which we already have too much. The few business deals that were signed could have been achieved without Mr. Obama. Even during the unpopularity of George Bush when a majority of people of traditional allies like Britain and Europe had negative opinions more than 70% of Indians approved of the US and that figure may have gone up a few notches because of this visit which hardly justifies the enormous expense and discomfort of the visit. As for the promise of support for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council it was just a bluff. Firstly, it will take years of negotiations with Germany, Brazil and countries in Africa all wanting permanent seats by which time Obama will have finished his second term if he wins in 2012. Secondly, Pakistan will lobby furiously to deny India and its ally in crime, China can easily veto our candidacy. Perhaps it is the symbolism which is more important than anything anything said or deals signed. The fact that Obama came just two years into his first term, that he is not going to Pakistan from here and that this is his longest visit to any country is probably designed to send a message to China after the barbaric Chinese behaved in an uncivilised manner with Obama. Money well spent, we say.