By: Arun Srivastava
Even the fragrance of the pleasant words that were bestowed upon Narendra Modi before his departure from the United States had faded, the Indian prime minister had to taste the bitter bite of American anger at some of his cabinet ministers and senior BJP leaders unleashing online harassment of journalist Sabrina Siddiqui, who at the press meet at White House had dared to ask Modi an uncomfortable question. Siddiqui had asked: “Mr. Prime Minister, India has long prided itself as the world’s largest democracy, but there are many human rights groups who say that your government has discriminated against religious minorities and sought to silence its critics… What steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other religious minorities in your country and uphold free speech?”
It is indeed a matter of shame that the Hindutva ecosystem has completely demolished the aura that Modi managed to create around him by coining the new word AI (America-India), putting in hefty diplomatic efforts. While the Hindutva troll army think that they have simply targeted Siddiqui, the unfortunate truth is that they have turned the Americans against their President Joe Biden for according official state welcome and elevating the status of Modi. True enough, realising the intensity of the hatred directed towards Siddiqui, the Biden administration subsequently had to adopt a tough posture against India and the Modi government. What worsened the situation for Biden is the reckless insinuation and revolting crusade against former US president Barrack Obama by two senior cabinet colleagues of Modi, the Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and defence minister Rajnath Singh. Both the ministers accused former President Obama of ordering bombing on six Muslim countries while the latter helmed the White House, as they decried his remark on Modi’s stance towards Indian Muslims.
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The Biden administration, which had just accorded a red carpet welcome to Modi, was quite enraged at the insinuation campaign launched by the saffron ecosystem and came out with a stern warning that it was completely unacceptable. Through their rancorous campaign, the RSS and BJP cadres and Modi bhakts have, ironically enough smeared the face of India and lowered its prestige across the world. Ironically, this nasty act was performed by the very men, who have been striving to project Modi as the “Vishwa Guru”. No doubt, it is a disgrace for India.
BJP’s ecosystem and its senior leaders were not content with simply calling Siddiqui an “Islamist”, they trolled Siddiqui as “the daughter of Pakistani parents” and for “echoing the claims of Islamists”. US media has turned hostile to Modi and India to such an extent that US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby, had to say: “We’re aware of the reports of that harassment. It’s unacceptable. And we absolutely condemn any harassment of journalists anywhere under any circumstances. That’s…completely unacceptable. And it’s antithetical to the very principles of democracy that…were on display last week during the state visit.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the US government is committed to the freedom of the press. “We certainly condemn any efforts of intimidation or harassment of a journalist or any journalist that is just trying to do their job”.
More than getting angry at Siddiqui questioning Modi, the BJP leaders and political ecosystem directing their hostility towards former US president Obama, whom, incidentally, Modi had once described as his “friend”, is perplexing. Who can forget Modi preparing and offering tea to Obama on his visit to India? While Modi was still in the US, Obama, in an interview to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour had said, “If I had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, who I know well, part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, there is a strong possibility at some point that India starts pulling apart. If the President (Biden) meets with PM Modi, then the protection of the Muslim minority in a majority-Hindu India, that’s something worth mentioning.”
Barely hours after his remark, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP chief minister of Assam, made a snide remark referring to him as a “Hussain Obama”. This indeed was a prejudiced attack on Obama. Sarma’s comments outright contradicted Modi’s statement in Washington. This was a deliberate attempt of Sarma, who joined BJP barely three years ago deserting his parent party Congress.
Within twenty four hours of Sharma’s vitriolic, the Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman accused Obama of indulging in Modi bashing by saying that his remarks about minority rights in India were surprising as six Muslim-majority countries had faced US “bombing” during his tenure. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received the highest civilian awards from 13 countries, including six with predominantly Muslim population. The finance minister alleged that “organised campaigns” were being run to level “baseless” allegations on the treatment meted out to minorities at the behest of the Opposition, as it cannot defeat the BJP electorally under Modi. While observing that it is also important to see who are the people behind them, she said that the Congress is “deliberately” raising “non-issues” and levelling allegations “without facts” to vitiate the country’s atmosphere.
As the finance minister she should have shown moral conviction by officially calling the remarks by Obama as motivated and absurd. But she preferred to hide behind the façade of party platform. She came out with this allegation as the spokesperson of the BJP. She recalled how Modi at a press conference had reiterated ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ principle.
One feels pity at her ominous attempts to distort the facts and history. It is worth recalling that Obama was elected in 2008 partly because of his opposition to the Iraq war and awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize after he assumed office. His military decisions to attack are intentionally being twisted by Sitharaman. USA had killed the dreaded Al-Qaeda terrorist Osama Bin Laden inside Pakistani soil. Will she also say that US was attacking Muslims in Pakistan? Of course, US has targeted al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in controversial drone “precision strikes” in Pakistan’s tribal areas for over a decade.
In all the seven Muslim countries which were attacked by US, the primary targets were the terrorists: ISI, Taliban or Al Qaeda. Obama had admitted in 2012: “For the most part, they’ve been very precise precision strikes against al-Qaeda and their affiliates, and we’re very careful in terms of how it’s been applied.” US target ISIS in Somalia. It was again ISIS menace in Syria. Facing threats from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Obama administration significantly ramped-up the use of armed drones. U.S. drones have targeted militants associated with al Shabaab, a terrorist network that perpetrated a high-profile attack last year at a mall in Kenya.
Sitharaman distorting the facts and protecting her leader Modi by describing Obama as anti-Muslim has not come as mere surprise. It was really a shock. How could a cabinet minister speak such blatant lies! But this was not the first and last. Close on her spiteful remarks, the defence minister Rajnath Singh also raised accusing fingers towards Obama. He said: Obama should think about how many Muslim countries he attacked. In his pro-Modi homily, he said Obama should know that the people of India believe in the concept of ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ and consider all people as members of one global family.
Rajnath slammed Obama saying; “I want to tell you with confidence that even Muslim countries would not have all the 72 sects of the community. It is only in India that you will find them all.” What a shame then that even in a country, which has 72 Muslim sects, they are ill-treated by the RSS and BJP leaders? Like Sitharaman he too did not speak on behalf of the government. Singh spoke as a well-wisher to Modi.
In any other political backdrop, this issue might have flared into a major diplomatic storm, but in the prevailing situation, the Biden administration would prefer to give it a peaceful decent burial as its stakes are quite high. The Bay of Bengal possesses significant geostrategic importance for US, especially Biden. It is a known fact that for countering the expansionist policy of China, it is imperative that US must have a strong base in the region. US having a strong naval base in the Bay of Bengal will enhance its power projection capabilities and maintain deterrence.
Obviously in this backdrop, notwithstanding the BJP political ecosystem launching a scathing attack on Obama, the Biden administration would not sound too harsh towards Modi and his men. Any harsh approach will help China cause. India, as the largest country bordering the Bay of Bengal, holds crucial strategic interests. Insult of a journalist by the BJP ministers and leaders has no relevance, rather counts immaterial, when it comes to preserving and promoting the interest of the USA.
Harvard history professor Maya Jasanoff had warned that the US attempting to rope in Narendra Modi’s India as an ally in the cold war against China could spell doom for the global project of freedom. But it failed to impress Biden. She had said: “But here is what Americans need to know about Modi’s India. Armed with a sharp-edged doctrine of Hindu nationalism, Modi has presided over the nation’s broadest assault on democracy, civil society and minority rights in at least 40 years. He has delivered prosperity and national pride to some, and authoritarianism and repression of many others that should disturb us all.” She has even cited India’s fall on multiple global indices of freedom, democracy, free press and academic freedom. (IPA Service)
