New Delhi: “Western officials are mostly allergic to calling Mr Modi out. Ask why, and many will first cite China,” an Economist report asserts, explaining how the United States views India as a counter to China in Asia. The report — Is America giving Narendra Modi an easy ride? — discusses the “diplomatic balancing act” of the West in the backdrop of allegations of human rights violations in India.
As India’s diplomatic feud with Canada over an alleged conspiracy to assassinate a Canada-based Sikh separatist and Modi’s refusal to condemn Russia over the Ukraine war cast doubts about the success of the West’s approach towards India, the report quotes a former Western official who worked on Indian policy saying, “We have to ask ourselves: if we succeed in strengthening India, will that come back to haunt us?”
Anticipating a status quo in the West’s approach, the report also suggests that a probable Trump presidency might be even more lenient towards Modi. However, with more people from the southern part of India, where Modi isn’t that popular, pouring into the US now, diaspora demographics will play a role in shaping the West’s India approach, the report adds. On the other hand, the report signals hope for India’s “flawed but resilient” democracy since its “democratic institutions still have some life.”
In a podcast by the Council on Foreign Relations, host Gabrielle Sierra talks to Ashok Swain, head of the peace and conflict research department at Uppsala University, and Hartosh Singh Bal, executive editor at The Caravan, to understand — “How could Hindu nationalism reshape India?”
“The world is standing and watching” as the “supposedly democratic” marginalisation of Muslims is taking place, says Bal during the discussion, while Swain shares that none of the ministers in Modi’s cabinet is Muslim. The podcast showcases Modi as a believer in Hindu nationalism, using it as a tool to consolidate votes. The guests invoke Modi’s election speeches in which he refers to Ram as “the face” and “Constitution of India” and makes several Islamophobic references.
Indians abroad are receiving WhatsApp messages highlighting Modi’s achievements, which they are encouraged to forward to relatives and friends back in India, reports Al Jazeera in ‘Indian diaspora divided as Modi’s office lobbies US fans to influence vote‘.
Organisations such as Non-Resident Indians For Mission 2024 (NRIM) and Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP), both registered as “foreign agent” in the US, are “at the forefront of efforts to mobilise support” for Modi’s re-election in India, says the report. NRIM, whose owners are senior leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, an offshoot of the Indian VHP, has been coordinating with the PMO on campaign materials while OFBJP is campaigning to make 2.5 million phone calls to voters in India to support Modi’s bid for a third term, adds the report. After interactions with the Indian diaspora, the report then discusses how “for many in the diaspora, this involvement is a source of pride and hope” while “for others, it is a cause of fear and apprehension”.
‘Indian minorities are fed-up with victimhood – let’s celebrate our incredible diversity’, an Express UK interview of India’s Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, Iqbal Singh Lalpura, quotes him saying that India’s minority population is growing and that fewer than 100 official cases of discrimination happened in the last three years.
The report also features Indian Muslims emphasising the country’s secular traditions and legal protections. Political analyst and columnist Amana Begam Ansari points out the gap in Western media’s understanding of India and its Muslim population. Musician and political analyst Omer Ghazi calls Indian society complex.
“Modi has built up a well-established cult of personality within his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with many supporters unable to name other cabinet members or their local BJP candidate”, according to a Guardian report. The report — India elections: PM Narendra Modi claims he has been chosen by God — accuses the BJP of actively promoting Hinduism “in every aspect of public life”, highlighting how the PM led rituals during the Ayodhya temple inauguration.
In an opinion piece in Bloomberg, ‘India’s state sector is thriving. That’s a problem’, columnist Mihir Sharma argues that although Indian state-owned companies are doing well under Modi, it is “fiscally unsustainable” as “private firms in India are struggling”. State firms dominate legacy sectors such as fossil fuels, old-style transport, and 20th-century capital goods, while private-sector investment remains weak, writes Sharma.
Calling for a new strategy if Modi comes back to power, Sharma writes that relying on state-owned companies cannot support a modern, productive economy. “Is it good news if the best-performing companies in an economy are those that hold near-monopolies in sunset industries?” the columnist argues.
Canadian visas for Gazans, Russia to delist Taliban as terrorist
Canada has announced a five-fold increase in visas for Gazans who wish to join family members living in the country in the wake of Israel’s attack on a camp for displaced people in Rafah. Read Al Jazeera‘s report to know more.
Russia has extended an invitation to Afghanistan to join a key economic forum in Moscow and is ready to delist the Taliban as a terrorist group. To learn more, read Reuters and Voice of America‘s reports.
Also read: India can’t wait for Canadians to vote out Justin Trudeau next year. Act now