At Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to USA mutual ties and strategic partnerships were substantially elevated. The deals struck in defense, transfer of vital technology, collaboration in Space, removing of most hurdles to cooperation in business and even renewal of visas, opening of more consulates in each other countries will no doubt go a long way to affect not only the two nations but probably as stated also the whole world.
The second time address to their Congress, Modi saying exactly what they wanted to hear and the standing ovations right throughout his speech were noteworthy!
A Wall Street Journal reporter who quizzed Modi at the White House press joint statement about silencing critics, discrimination against minorities and what steps he was taking to protect them, democracy and free speech was subsequently badly trolled online and denounced by Indian social media and even our government.
Former President Barack Obama once profusely praised on his visit to India is now roundly denounced as some of his views were unpalatable to the government. The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lashed out at Obama for raising non-issues and as some sort of maniac bombing Muslim nations indiscriminately, when after 9/11 America went after the terrorists, Osama and Taliban in retribution!
The visit to a Muslim country and being praised by its Prime Minister, President and Egypt’s Grand Mufti but crediting Modi for inclusivity and pluralism, also being honoured with award of Order of the Nile enhancing political, security, trade, scientific, academic and people to people friendships with offering help in sectors that Egypt may need is praise worthy.
I now wonder whether we are living in a rapidly changing world of truth and reality or in some virtual world of deceit and hypocrisy. The millions of PIOs in close touch with family and friends in India cannot but be aware of the ground realities.
In the interests of commerce and security, the western nations have decided to ignore our multilateral friendships with their enemy world powers, our internal problems and important civic issues!
Providentially social media can escape the stringent prejudice and virtual toeing of the government line by the popular media that for example keeps from us the various criticisms, demonstrations and anti-Modi slogans during the PMs visits abroad, the 75 members from the US Congress writing to Biden to take up with Modi press freedom, misuse of regulatory agencies, discrimination on basis of religion and human rights of minorities.
In a democracy criticizing the government is not anti-India. Indira was not India, neither is the Modi government. Let us acknowledge the harsh truth and reality starting with the world.
The horrific wars in Ukraine, Sudan, Libya and violence/ unrest worldwide have resulted in millions of refugees, families lives shattered, children the worst affected, so are pets and animal lives.
Nations spending majority budgets on war machines, military rule in Myanmar, Taliban in Afghanistan where women are in burqa and not permitted to roam freely nor girls attend school in this 21st century. We have dangerous nuclear powers and a UN which is powerless to regulate world order!
The hypocrisy of the Security Council with Russia and China vetoing anything they do not subscribe to, the West acting likewise, the UN General Assembly divided based on self-interest!
In all this we have India, a digitally and economically growing nation essential to balance the western nations and basically Russia-China-North Korea belligerence.
The BJP government led by Modi having ambitions of being a vishwaguru and superpower, let us honestly look at ourselves? We are professing from the rooftops 'Sub Ke Saath, Vishwas etc', proudly stating democracy is in our DNA and we are the mother of democracy! Not only that, we recall the PM in America stating clearly that we are proud of our unity in diversity and without free speech, non-discrimination of people regarding caste, creed, gender, religion, language, freedom and human rights there can be no democracy!
In reality what do we have? Manipur, Maharashtra dangerous political games/dirty politics, unemployment, high prices staring us in the face, opposition power and ego centric disunity, hate speeches, polarization of the country, intolerance and undemocratic means being used.
The arrogant BJP in power is doing whatever it wants with brute majority. Ordinances are used to thwart court rulings. There is antagonism with any Opposition, sought to be destroyed by poaching and unethical means, using the courts, draconian laws, enforcement agencies, actions do not spare reporters and even teenagers from freely expressing themselves.
The Bajrang Dal, VHP, cow vigilantes freely operate in some states and it’s no secret that government is working towards Hindutva and a Hindu rashtra. I pray our PM will walk the talk on democracy he professed in America and the world becomes a better place to live in for all its peoples!
