Why do we regard Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams and Priti Patel or even Akshay Kumar as Indians, when we still call Sonia Gandhi by her Italian name? This week, Antonia Maino made a comeback on Republic TV when Arnab Goswami opened a personal, no-holds-barred attack on the Congress president over a recent mob lynching incident in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.
BJP leaders and the party’s supporters relish calling Sonia Gandhi a foreigner. Some anchors running pro-BJP channels regularly target the Congress leader and raise her ‘Italian’ roots to paint the party and its supporters as people working against “national interest” — whatever that ‘interest’ entails in their head. And Arnab Goswami is the undeclared leader of this pack. The Pied Piper blurts out inanities and his dutiful followers…follow. Even during a national health crisis, when people, including children, are dying of hunger.
But while Arnab never answers, even those following him never ask: Why is Sonia Gandhi, the wife of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and president of India’s oldest political party, an “Italian”, a “foreigner”? After spending all her adult life in India, she is “not Indian” in some people’s eyes. But a Canadian Akshay Kumar is. Because when he is not acting in commercial, nationalist films, he is ‘interviewing’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the middle of a national election, offering him a plate of mango-questions to pick and choose from.
Also read: Arnab Goswami’s attack continues. Rahul, Priyanka, where’s your ‘enough is enough’ moment?
Obsession with ‘foreign’
The people who go after Sonia Gandhi and her ‘foreign’ roots also always cherish the achievements of ‘Indians’ and Indian-origin people who were born and raised in foreign countries or those who later took citizenship of other countries. Whether it’s Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams, V.S Naipaul, Tulsi Gabbard, Priti Patel, or Jhumpa Lahiri, their achievements are celebrated like those of an Indian.
The thing is, in a country where some people are obsessed with finding and establishing foreigners among them — such as through the National Register of Citizens — Sonia Gandhi’s Italian roots offer an easy route to target a political party that must be demonised and attacked perpetually so that Narendra Modi and his BJP can look good.
Even the argument that Indians are “emotional” about their country and associate birthplace with citizenship and citizenship with Indianness doesn’t hold water. If that was the case, then people hailing from the northeast states won’t be taunted and targeted as “Chinese” or “Japanese” or “Korean”. There have been several instances of people being attacked during the Covid crisis because, well, the virus’ geographic origin lies in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Northeast Indians are discriminated against based on their looks. Even people from the south are mocked; for a large populace of India, everyone in the south is still a “Madrasi”.
It would appear that this obsession with seeing other Indians as ‘not one of our own’ is mainly a Hindi heartland thing. The rampant discrimination has been a bane of Indian society, and continues to divide people along racial and sectarian lines. So, if you are from north India or look like one, you are by default an Indian. Others must show their birth proof, or chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai or be an unadulterated supporter of Modi and the BJP. Although, Sonia Gandhi would still be an “Italian”.
Also read: If Uddhav Thackeray bows before Arnab Goswami’s dare, he will only weaken himself before BJP
Insecurities due to the British past
An ‘Indian’ Sundar Pichai is the head of an American company Google; another ‘Indian’ Satya Nadella is the chief executive officer of Microsoft; Shantanu Narayen leads Adobe; Ajaypal Singh Banga is the CEO of Mastercard. Can we imagine such a scenario in India? How will Indians take it if an Indian company is led by a foreigner?
At the slightest hint of a foreign connection, such figures will be labelled a spy, traitor, Jaichand or anything that a certain group can come up with. To a large extent, most Indians have never really been comfortable with foreigners — even though most crave for their attention and hold their praise of any Indian (mostly Hindu) ritual or custom as the final validation.
The roots of this insecurity perhaps lie in the British past, and seems to have survived even today, with many desperate enough to shrug off the past memories of being ruled by foreigners through persistent dislike for anything or anyone “not Indian”. What they don’t want to acknowledge is that this distinction is not so simple. There were many foreigners who made immense contributions to India’s freedom struggle. Moreover, we are not living in the past. This is modern India. Any insecurity over someone’s place of birth, race or religion should not exist.
Sonia Gandhi denounced her Italian citizenship, learnt Hindi, wore saris all her life, led the country’s oldest political party but she is still an “Italian”. It’s time to ask: what could she possibly do to be regarded as an Indian like a Canadian Akshay Kumar?
Views are personal.
Jyoti Yadav offers a naive digression for Sonia Gandhi why she and other Congress leaders are silent over Palghar lynchings of two sadhus and their driver.
Das jnpath pe natmastak
totally irrelevant comment. these days being a bhakt seems to be the criterion for being considered Indian. remember, our country is greater than ideology of hate.
From Kalpana Chawla to Sunita Wiliams , Priti Patel and even Akshay Kumar are proud to be called as Indians. We also do not disown the Modis and Mallyas or Dowud as Indians.
The problem with imported politicians is that they tend to hide the origin because then there is always the possibility of the FUJIMORI trick. A man who was the president of Peru made and stole all the money and ran away to his country of origin – JAPAN
When we learn from others experiences we do not pay a price but when we insist on learning from our own experiences then we will have to pay the price,
So true….
Akshay kumar born in Amritsar so he is pure indian, Sonia born in Italy so she is Italian and not Indian, U may artificially make her Indian but naturally she is not. Akshay took Canadian citizenship for getting job in that country, but he never went as he got good opportunities in india.
p
25 Cr tere Baap ne diye hain.. Ask the Italian Native to donate first then speak.
This article is so biased and stupid….Akshay Kumar is an Indian who became a Canadian citizen but Sonia Gandhi is a Italian who became Indian citizen only after her husband became prime minister. Moreover Akshay and his likes are artists and politicians or ministers in this country… We are ready to accept Sonia Gandhi as bar dancer in our country but we can’t hand over our country to a foreigner
Tulasi Gabbard is not of Indian Origin. Please cross check before writing. India Companies do have Foreign CEO’s. Akshay Kumar and others you have mentioned are not into politics. Can a Indian become US President or UK prime minister even if they have become citizens after migrating there???No. Unless you are born in those countries you can’t become President or Prime Minister. Same works for Sonia Gandhi. Instead of dividing India into North and South please try writing articles that will unite us. I agree North East Indians are called Names. Please use your energy to educate/enlighten people instead of dividing them further.
Stupid interpretation. Sonia Gandhi is more Indian than you.
We do have Indian born citizens who are currently Prime Ministers…. The current Prime Minister Of Portugal is originally from Goa And The Current Prime Minister Of Ireland Is originally from Maharashtra…. The people of these country voted them to power with open arms and without any controversy…. Goan born Keith Vaz is a very well known and respected politician in UK….
What’s the status of Margret Thacher. She’s Indian by birth and British
Foolish comparison between Akshay kumar and Sonia Gandhi! Akshay taking up Canadian citizenship for his personal gains and looking again for Indian citizenship is definitely opportunistic, but, madam sonia inspite of wearing sari, living in India for 50 years, talking toota phoota Hindi may not make an Indian leader. It is the general public or citizens, who have to accept anybody for that matter as their leader. Being a congress president only wouldn’t make their leader or its prime minister candidate. It is not supporting arnab or bjp and bite sonia gandhi, but, acceptability of a person comes from inside the mind of others. The said madam has never been able to touch the minds or feelings of the people of india so far. But put her in italy, she will be a successful candidate
No comments.
Good one! Great article!! I also thought that way before… But this makes sense… We are so narrow minded at times… We need to open our eyes wider and finally see
At least they have not hidden their roots and names and they have reached there with there good hunger to get knowledge hard work in their fields and by not dancing in bar with under high school education but for only her youthful beauty and came here to rule us and she is not connected to Indians preeti Patel and Ravi sunak are connected to ordinary English people and they were most suitable.
Since language is an unavoidable tool of the reporting trade, it is important that you be not cavalier about its use. What would you possibly mean by saying that Sonia Gandhi “denounced” her Italian citizenship? “Renounced”?
Obviously this “news” publication is just hiring at 1 cent a word online 🙂 Any altu-faltu is writing their stupid, biased, and poorly-researched articles. Edited properly is too high an expectation 🙂
Shekhar Ji last week you were asking money for print media for content journalism, is anti BJP anti Modi is only good journalism. Please have moderation in your contents otherwise it will look like Republic TV on the other extreme. Please remember these channels are born to counter channels for example NDTV.
The print and dhekhar gupta is a joke. They have become a joke in licking the gandhi family’s boots.
This gupta was lickimg rajiv’s boots when he ordered killings of sikhs in 1984. Now he licks boots of an italian, cause she is using gandhi surname. He cannot believe it, she is out and will never be voted back. 10 years a moderate sikh was pm. People voted for him, people did not care who her mafia boss was. They just made sure, he acted on his own. She lives in a fools paradise. Shekhar gupta must realize, they are never coming back. Mayb a regional leader becomes national leader. It could be anybody, shivraj chauhan, yogi, naveen patnaik, kcr, anybody. But this party with sonia is never winning an election. Once sachin pilot goes bonkers, rajasthan will be gone. A small state like chattisgarh doesn’t count. Other states are unreachable.
Arnab’s tirade was disgraceful, any which way you look at it. And then the crybully came up with another melodramatic performance after his car was conveniently “attacked”.
Yes, and the leftist media which has got a choke-hold on Indian mainstream and now even alternative media isn’t disgraceful? It’s just that the majority finally is less divided and is projecting a united voice which is not good for parties like old parties like congress that have thrived on a minority-appeasement and dividing the Hindu faction into cast and sub-casts.
Would recommend you to see CEO of maruti,himalaya drug company and tata motors. No one really cares.
Have a burnol??
Let Maino Donate 25cr
As a first step, for a change donate Rs.25 Crs
Such a silly article..Akshay is indian who has a foreign citizenship but lives and works in india. He is not a leader of a major political party…even the usa does not allow non-us born citizens to hold post of president …yet congress wants indians to agree to a non-indian born citizen leading it and eventually who was super pm ….bloody hypocrites. As Akshay has shown , his loyalty is to his roots and if ( hopefully it does not come) he should choose between Canada and india, we know where his loyalty lies ( india) , so will sonia Gandhi and we can’t have such people leading India’s key party. Full stop..they can be down in the hierarchy but never leaders of the party which can govern all of India. This is 101 basic of governance and yet such silly writers dont understand.
I am in Chennai since the last 25 years but was born and brought up in Mumbai and spent nearly 30 years before my career took me to other places and finally Chennai. To me the subject of allowing a foreigner to lead the nation has always put me on guard and always made me sit up and take stock with thoughts as to what would be in store if we allowed that. That, a 150 year old grand party ,with colourful stalwarts at the reins during our struggle for independence, should languish on the sidelines of Indian politics for want of leadership ,intellectual honesty and political integrity is tragic to say the least. For congress, Sonia may have been the choice to lead after Rajiv since after his departure she came about to be the primary guardian and custodian of the party coffers aided and abetted by a bunch of sycophants who displayed an astonishing degree of intellectual deficit and lack of imagination to have any vision for the future of the party. This ,inspite of having seasoned luminaries like narasimha rao,pranab mukherjee, and so many others who wilted for want of a voice against the authoritarian dynastic elements in the party. But that of course was an internal party matter which could not have brooked outside interference . But to foist their choice on the nation and to make it accept a foreigner as a PM candidate without opposition was expecting too much from the Indian polity
But fortunately as history would have it the matter forestalled with the timely assertion by none other than Subramaniam swamy that it was unconstitutional for Sonia to be made PM as until that time she had not revoked her Italian citizenship. Personally, as it was with a majority of Indians, there was no element of ill will against Sonia as a person as long as she did not contest the top post. The top post requires certain essential qualifications other than being Rajivs wife. From a security standpoint, a foreigner as a PM would have given unfettered access and leeway to forces inimical to the country which would have changed the entire complexion of our security environment. Add this to the fact that Sonia had connections to the KGB and was on its payrolls for a long time. Moreover Sonia’s dubious roots and fascist parentage makes her an untouchable as far as the PM post was concerned. After all we are not a Banana Republic to have allowed that kind of a thing to happen, congress or no congress.
After all these years in her public life we have witnessed how she has wasted no opportunity in upholding Vatican interests in conversions and change in Indian demography. The Congress who are most vocal about lynchings of minority community victims chose to give it an entirely different colour when a few Hindu mahants were lynched in the presence of the police who were mute spectators. This is how they conduct themselves when they are in power.
To my mind Arnab was right in asking pointed questions to Sonia regarding her silence and as a responsible politician should have given her replies in public instead of resorting to threats and intimidation using goons and questioning media freedom.
Kya bakwaas hai
Mr H.Mahadevan: One needs to see whether the “H.Mahadevan Loyalty Test” should be applied to Indians who have attained high posts in other countries. A cursory analysis suggests that the “H.Mahadevan Loyalty Test” has been rejected in the following cases:
1. Mr Harjit Sajjan, turban-wearing Sikh from Hoshiarpur, Punjab is the Defence Minister of Canada. Any dangers to Canada Mr Mahadevan?
2. Ms Priti Patel & Mr Rishi Sunak – both of Indian origins are in the UK cabinet. Ms Patel is the Home Secretary while Mr Sunak is the current Chancellor of the Exchequer. About time you contacted PM Boris Johnson and raised your concerns about the loyalties of these these dubious desis Mr Mahadevan !
People of Indian origins hold high ministerial posts in many countries. Evidently, the “H.Mahadevan Loyalty Test” has been flushed down the toilet in these countries.
Very good article highlighting hypocrisies and propaganda machinery of BJP. This article should have come from Mr. Shekhar Gupta. Instead he is increasingly becoming a pied piper. From past 1 month he has not highlighted a single loophole in govt. functioning and rather been relaying covid news that people already know from various sources. Shame on him
The Jyoti Yadav must be a Congress supporter on monthly salary! Sonia madam born in Italy and just because this exbar dancer happened to become Mrs Rajiv Gandhi does not mean this LADY is Indian? The writer is insane .and Shameful?
Was Sonia Gandhi aka Antonia Maino born in India? Was Akshay Kumar born in Canada? Aren’t there million Indians with passports of other countries? The former barmaid had Italian passport until mid 1990s. Any explanations for that?
Italian Sonia must be born again as Hindhu Indian sincerely.!!
Very true. Arnab is coward himself.
Coward a are the people who remain silent
As your name spells, Seems like you are Lallu
What nonsense.
Why this waste of digital space?
Isn’t it obvious by now that citizenship is dependent on religion and not what constitution awards?
Hence, SG will remain a foreigner despite being an Indian citizen and AK will be Indian despite being a Canadian citizen.
You call because you are bigoted stupid.
Akshay Kumar is Indian.
Dododoodoo
There is a slit error tulsi gabbard is not of Indian origin rather she adopted hinduism. It makes me wonder that your head is also running with same mindset as of hindutva forces that every hindu is bound to an Indian
No doubt the blood of Sonia is Italian and this will not change even if she changes her dress code or language. So is Rahul. Really surprising the Congress initiating Quit India movement is at her feet!
I hold Modi responsible for antics of likes of Arnab,Surya,Sadhvi Pragya….
What do u mean?
Just like I hold Sonia responsible for the countless scams under UPA 2. I guess antics >> looting 1000’s of crores of tax-payer money.
Wow anything wrong in India blame hindi heartland and somehow North Indians are the white supremacist of India ,this is not journalism this is hit piece . You have been raised wrong maybe this page has a more non hindi audience base so this maybe just catering to your audience and that is one racist audience
Lol what kind of losers write and read this
hahah Looks like The print is really frustrated with it.Do you need burnol???
Your point is noted.
However there is no comparison between the persons.
One is a foreigner who adopted this land but has contempt for heritage, civilizational achievement, traditions and idea of India, Indians and indianess.
There are endless example but I will name two.
Running a parallel government through NAC a non elected entity compromising, undermining and decimating the established governing institutions.
The tacit support to porselytization to Christian faith in central and nort East India to change the secular fabric and idea of India.
So no this comparison is unfair.
An apt comparison would be with Tom Alter or Mark Tully who adopted this country and assimilated with us as one without working against the nation, society and idea of India, Indians and indianess.
Yes, Tom Alter was born in India, Mark Tully and even Francois Gautier have clearly integrated into India, out of respect and also genuine love for this land and culture. Unlike that witch Anotina Maino and her son Raul Vinci, her corrupt daughter and her husband Robert Vadra (land scammer) who all treat India like their personal ATM, nothing more. There is no love in their hearts for India and they are not very sharp …. just crafty.
Apt!
Another person to compare with is Ruskin Bond. These people really made India their home and became one of us. Nobody thinks of them as anything else but Indian.
Only sycophants of the Nehru-Gandhi family can think the way the author of the original post does!
Interestingly, most Indian who leave the country actually start a countdown to see when they can discard their Indian nationality and get a Canadian, Australian or German one. And paradoxically, India’s colonial past notwithstanding, UK nationality is highly coveted.
Yet, when one has the cases of Ms Sonia Gandhi or Belgian born economist Jean Drèze who have relinquished their European nationalities and become Indian, the likes of BJP’s gutter mouthed Goebbels figures like Arnab Goswami regard them as a fifth column. It is this oral open defaecator Goswami who in reality is India’s fifth column since it is going to be his bigoted Hindutva ilk that will destroy the fragile unity of India. Regardless of her orgins, Ms Sonia Gandhi is an Indian citizen and needs to be accorded equal treatment and respect.
Shame on you Arnab Goswami – BJP’s Josef Goebbels.
No she is not Indian.. She has no respect for Indians. She treated Manmoham Singh ji with contempt. Her son also, do not respect the prime minister of India.
They treat India as ATM machine amd no respect for customs. India will never get destroyed. You are from ISI who wants to destroy india cause you think indians are not united. It is italian agenda to divide and rule. Nobody falls for it. Let them say whatever. Haati apni chaal chalta hai. And dogs like shekhar bark
Mr Raminder: Thank you for having researched and developed the brilliant “Raminder Test of Indianness” which you describe above. Alas, the GOI had other criteria for award of Indian nationality by naturalisation and Ms Sonia Gandhi has obtained her nationality fair and square.
Ms Sonia Gandhi is an Indian politician. Whilst you may not like Ms Gandhi’s political stance and all the horsetrading that goes with being a politician, especially an Indian politician, fact is, Ms Gandhi has renounced her Italian nationality and is an Indian. That is beyond doubt, the “Raminder Test of Indianness” notwithstanding.
Indian politics – all over the country and in all states – is driven by dynasties and/or powerful one man, err one person figures. Thus, you have the Thackeray dynasty in Maharashtra, the Karunanidhi dynasty in Tamilnadu, the Lalu Yadav dynasty of Bihar, the Mulayam Yadav dynasty of UP, the Gandhi dynasty of the Congress and so on. In some cases, you have one person outfits that are built upon the cult of some strong person: the Mayawati, Mamta Bannerjee, Jayalalitha and now also the Modi cult. This being the state of affairs in the country and the electorate accepting it, it stands to reason that whoever is appointed as PM or CM is usually a puppet of the dynasty and does not have real power. Ms Gandhi’s machinations and her disdainful treatment of MMS are but manifestations of the many written and unwritten rules and customs of Indian politics.
But to generalise from that and insinuate that Ms Gandhi does not respect Indians is the demented braying of a man intoxicated on Arnab Goswami’s hot air. You go on to say that Ms Gandhi does not respect Indian customs, treats India as an ATM etc. and that is certainly not true. Likewise your preposterous claim that there is an Italian agenda to “divide and rule” or that she is from the ISI.
You are entitled to your political opinions and it is your prerogative to like or dislike a politician or political party. But what is evident from your puerile post is that in your grand impotence in being able to formulate arguments and arguing on facts, you resort to name-calling, questioning the loyalty of a politician and other crude responses. Maybe that is what they taught you in your VHP or Bajrang Dal shakha. Maybe you are an armchair Arnab Goswami who believes in hurling abuses at imaginary enemies of India. But that is not how a civilised debate is conducted.
“How will Indians take it if an Indian company is led by a foreigner?”
How will Americans take if Republican or Democratic party is lead by a person born in India?
Let us consider a few checklist pointers to understand how to classify any individual person in which category:
1. Country of Birth
2. Mother tongue (The first language one learnt as a child)
3. Country where one’s ancestors are buried/cremated
4. Country where one’s parents, grandparents (if alive), aunts uncles, siblings, one’s childhood friends still live.
5. Country ( and language) in which primary education was imparted and one is still thinks in that language.
6. Country 0r Countries where one is /was a citizen of.
7. The country or countries where one would run to in case of trouble.
Some individuals may turnout to be grey rather than clearly pure white. In such cases use your common sense.
Canadian Ben: Could you please apply the “Ben test” and tell us your scores ? After all, you aren’t calling yourself Indian Ben or Bihari Ben but Canadian Ben …
Mr. Goswami must be commended for being able to get under the skin of “secular” journalists like Ms. Yadav and Ms. Sikander.
Hope he continues with the excellent job he is doing.
”It’s time to ask: what could she possibly do to be regarded as an Indian like a Canadian Akshay Kumar?”
She could at least bring back the loot she, her husband and her children stashed away in the foreign banks.
Sonia is, and always will be, a foreigner. Indians do not like her.
Sonia Gandhi renounced her Italian citizenship , not denounced , a typo . Each one of us , has biases , most are harmless but some are toxic , the author has done well to point out some.
Sonia Gandhi born in Italy, seen as Italian. Akshay Kumar born in India, seen as India. Am I the only one who see this article mere propaganda or paid article on Congress behalf? What is the logic here!
The Print, please maintain standards and not let interns write articles.
Why are you look more Congress news paper and why are your news is so depressing
Why are you look more Congress news paper
And this portal wants us to accept India born Akshay Kumar as Canadian and Italy born Sonia Gandhi as Indian.
Even after a full and final judgement by the judiciary , the Congress people particularly Soniya Maino and Rahul baba , never stop calling the BJP or RSS as “mout ke saudaagar” & “killers of the Mahatma” and the like.
So they are being paid in the same coins.
Dear Arnab & BJP, there is a level and extent to which you can be rude, encroaching and shameless.
Alas Mr Sanjay – that man err eunuch – does not know his limitations.
Useless article try to demonize akki who donated 25 crore what has antonia done nothing for the people of india his own husband is responsible for the genocide of Sikhs, rather than punishing bhopal gas tragedy accused she is accused of helping him . She is minority appeaser a failed politician
If your favourite party can regularly address the UP CM as Ajay Singh Bhisht , instead of yogi Adiyanath, there is nothing wrong in addressing Sonia Gandhi as Antonio Maino !!!!
I simply love the way Mr. Arnab Goswami manages to get under the skin of the likes of Ms. Yadav and Ms. Sikander.
That is True.!!
We can’t even comment on this post. Democracy?
The print is scrubbing many of my comments. I guess I do not have freedom to express my views as it does not align 100% with theirs.
Leading an Company is an different thing if the country is lead by an foreigner then why we demanded for Democracy we should be under British rule or Italian rule. Talking of the Indian origin parliamentarians in foreign countries it’s an choice of the nation. We didn’t choose Antonia Maino as Our leader nepotistic family of Gandhi choose her not as a leader but as daughter in law of Gandhi family not of Republic of India.
She is still an Indian citizen. How does that make here a foreigner?
You are comparing heads with tails Jyoti.
Indians claim successful people of Indian origin as their own – all the examples you qouted. But reject a foreigner who claims to be Indian.
Your examples are flawed because you are comparing two sides of the coin as one.
Now coming to the one example that is from the same side of the coin – perhaps. Akshay Kumar. Now you very conveniently did not mention that Akshay was born an Indian. He took Canadian Citizenship in later life. Just like all the others you mentioned!
Once an Indian, always an Indian.
Born a foreigner, always a foreigner? Perhaps, perhaps not. You would have done better to talk about that rather than emulate the man you seem to hate so much – Arnab Goswami – and just rant on with half baked and falacious logic.
You do have a point about racism in India – particularly against our own people from the North East. I do notice that you were not really outraged at the racism they face because that was just an argument to bolster your hate speech in support of Sonia Gandhi.
Wake up Jyoti! The people of India have voted said lady out if power.
Are you saying that the Indian Electorate is wrong?