Prez Obama's visit to India will bring more of feel good factor: Defence Expert

Defence expert K M Chenoy said on Saturday that U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to India in the thrird week of January would bring more of a feel good factor, rather than the taking of any major policy decisions.

"I don't think it will have a major impact. It's a very short visit, unless ambassadors, people from the state department and others stay back for a week or ten days, only then, will something happen, otherwise it's just atmospherics," said Chenoy.

"This is a lame duck government, where the president is in a minority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. So, he is in no condition to give anything very much to India. So, it's just that a feel good factor is developed, but actually no concrete decision can be taken, because, the president doesn't have a majority in his own parliament or Congress," he added.

He further said that during President Obama's visit, there may be some gestures of friendship and some relatively small things. But no discussions are expected to take place on major issues like Pakistan, terrorism across the Line of Control (LoC) and problems likely to be faced in Afghanistan once foreign troops leave, etc.

"For this, you require a president or a prime minister who is firmly in control of his country and whose opinion will be decisive, that is not the case with U.S. at the moment," Chenoy said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited U.S. President Barack Obama to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations next year.

"This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over...invited President Obama to be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as Chief Guest," Prime Minister Modi had tweeted.

Obama had earlier this month praised Prime Minister Modi by referring to him as a 'man of action'.

Obama used the phrase during a gala dinner hosted for the leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asia Summit (EAS) member countries in Nay Pyi Taw.

Obama had earlier on September 29 hosted a private dinner for Prime Minister Modi at the White House during the latter's U.S. visit.