Whatever your views on Narendra Modi’s politics, one of the more remarkable achievements of his prime ministership has been the way he has fostered relations with the Arab world and the Middle East in general.
He regularly visits Muslim countries that Indian prime ministers have generally avoided and always receives a warm welcome from his hosts. For instance, Modi’s trip to Kuwait this week was the first by an Indian PM in 43 years. He was also the first Indian prime minister to visit the UAE in 30 years. These are countries important to India, if for no other reason than the millions of Indians who live and work there.
There are many remarkable aspects of Modi’s travels to the Middle East.
First, he has managed to improve relations with these countries at a time when circumstances might seem unfavourable to such an initiative. Many of the government’s most vocal supporters in India are sharply pro-Israel. While not all Arab nations are staunchly pro-Palestinian (or pro-Hamas), there is widespread revulsion throughout the Arab world over the Israeli bombing of civilians in Gaza. Moreover, India has abandoned its historical pro-Palestinian stance to make friends with Israel and buy Israeli technology such as Pegasus. Yet, this shift has not stood in the way of improvement in relations with the Arab world.
Second, Modi‘s image as a “Hindu Hriday Samrat” and the actions of his government (and BJP state governments) have alienated many Indian Muslims. Some of these Muslims expected solidarity from the broader Islamic world. However, the warm receptions Modi receives make it clear that such support is not forthcoming. Middle Eastern countries regard the status of Indian Muslims as India’s internal affair. They are happy to engage with Modi and respect India’s position as an Asian power. Indian Muslims may have grievances with Modi, but Arab rulers seem to have no problems with him whatsoever.
As and when there is an irritant that strains ties with the Islamic world, the Modi government acts quickly to address it. While Arab nations may be indifferent to the plight of Indian Muslims, they do not tolerate insults to Islam or the Prophet. When BJP’s former national spokesperson Nupur Sharma made offensive remarks about Prophet Muhammad, Arab nations protested. The Modi government responded by promptly throwing Sharma under the bus. They told Muslim countries that she was no more than a fringe element—even though this caused frustration and anger among many BJP supporters.
Also read: Hindus are not in danger in Bangladesh. Minorities are safer there than in India
Why do Hindus leave India for Muslim world?
Two aspects of the Modi-Arab bonhomie intrigue me. The Sangh Parivar faithful view Muslims, particularly those from the Middle East, as historical invaders who tried to damage Hindu civilisation. There are persistent narratives suggesting that millions of dollars from the Arab world fund jihad or conversions in India.
Yet, Modi shows no sign of subscribing to these beliefs. When he hugs Arab leaders, bizarrely enough, even the more extreme elements within the Sangh Parivar take a break from Muslim-bashing to express pride in the warm welcome Modi receives. Apparently, all it takes to silence the bigots is a “jaadu ki jhappi”.
Equally interesting is how BJP supporters perceive Indians living in the Arab world. We keep hearing that Muslims oppress Hindus and that Hindus are victims of Islamic fundamentalism. And yet, more and more Hindus keep leaving India to live in Muslim-majority countries. Millions of Indians already live in the Middle East and it’s not just poor labourers. Each week, more Indian millionaires pack their suitcases and leave their country to make new homes in Dubai and the rest of the Middle East.
In many West Asian countries, there is now a sizable Hindu minority. And yet there is no evidence of persecution. Hindus in these countries continue to live happily and are in no hurry to return to India to escape any alleged persecution.
Here’s my question: if so many Hindus live happily and peacefully in Muslim countries, where does the notion of Hindu victimhood come from? And if BJP supporters believe Hindus in the Middle East are unhappy but forced to stay there due to economic necessity, why does PM Modi not discuss their plight when he is cheerfully hugging Arab leaders?
The short answer is that no compelling narrative of Hindu victimhood exists in the Arab world. That’s why Modi doesn’t bring it up. And that is why he’s so eager to win friends in the Muslim world.
Also read: 93% Muslims view Hindus favourably, but only 65% Hindus view Muslims positively: Pew survey
Easier to claim victimhood than to admit truth
The current notion of Hindu victimhood is largely a 1980s creation, exploited for electoral purposes by LK Advani and passed down, in some garbled form, to the rabble. In some strange, twisted way, the victimhood theory held a limited credibility in the Congress-dominated 1980s, when the government’s willingness to pander to the most regressive elements within the Muslim community and the tendency of leaders like VP Singh to seek fatwas in their favour from dodgy Imams angered Hindus. That’s when Advani was able to propound his “Hindus are second-class citizens in their own country” narrative.
But now? How can anyone argue that Hindus—many of whom voluntarily migrate to Muslim-majority countries—are victims in India, where they constitute 85 per cent of the population? After 10 years of Modi rule, can anyone seriously claim the government panders to regressive elements within the Muslim community? Or that Muslims are pampered?
Yet, claims of Hinduphobia continue to be made. Even as Muslim homes are bulldozed in BJP-ruled states, we are told that Hindus are the real victims. Incredibly enough, there are people who still swallow this stuff.
Or do they? I am coming around to the view that even Hindutva leaders who complain about Hinduphobia and the oppressed status of Hindus in their own country, don’t really believe their rhetoric. They find it easier to say ”I speak for oppressed Hindus” than to admit the truth: that they hate Muslims because of some visceral, primeval prejudice—not for any logical reason.
Perhaps it is time for Modi’s followers to learn from their leader. He may have risen to power on a Hindu wave, but he does not let rhetoric or bogus narratives stop him from getting on with the job of making friends with the Muslim world. Modi knows that Hindus in these countries are not an oppressed minority.
Just as he knows that Hindus in India are a dominant, triumphant majority—the very opposite of an oppressed community.
Vir Sanghvi is a print and television journalist, and talk show host. He tweets @virsanghvi. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)
I completely disagree with you. Muslims as a thought are a threat to indian democracy. Any country whose muslim population increases to 50 percent, democracy and human rights cease to exist ( exception being Indonesia in which also there are several reports of religious intolerance). You probably know Bangladesh and their atrocities on Hindus.
Ask your elders about the 1947 partition.
Why do I feel like you have taken money from George Soros or maybe his shell company. Transparent journalism my foot.
Gaslighting: The act of saying that what happened never happened. And is imagined. Temples were not attacked by Khalistanis in Canada. Temples were not attacked by muslims in Bangladesh. Forced conversions dont happen in Pakistan.
May you experience same gas lighting for bad things that happen to you.
Mr Singhavi few points:
1. Middle East doesn’t care if you are Hindu/Muslim. There criterion is Arabic/Non-Arabic. Well read and well travelled gentleman must have known this.
2. This is a well known fact that funds from Middle East is furling Wahabisim across all over the world, which has reduced just slightly after MBS came to power. You may get too many research/intelligence reports for the same.
3. Can a lower middle income country such as ours become middle income country in 10 years? Modi or even a magician can’t take our country to level of Middle Eastern countries in 10 years. Per capita income of GCC countries – USD 33000 and per capita income of India -2800
Therefore even with higher growth rate in India, people will immigrate for better opportunities in wealthy country
Just to present counter that points given in your article were invalid and hence hypothesis
An idiotic article. One wonders exactly how harebrained a person has to be to come up with such a ridiculous line of argument.
Coupled with the fake accent Mr. Sanghvi has on The Print video, it’s truly pathetic.
One wonders why Shekhar Gupta continues providing a platform for elements like Vir Sanghvi and Sagarika Ghose.
I would personally prefer to read/hear criticism of the government from Kapil Komireddi, PB Mehta, Jaffrelot and others.
Author need burnol at this time
Vir Sanghvi and his La La land.
The specious arguments are so ridiculously easy to see through. It’s laughable indeed.
Maybe Mamata Banerjee will reward Singhvi too with a Rajya Sabha nomination.
Vir Sanghvi, Are you really naive or have to somehow show your secular credentials by hook or crook that you need to come up with some convoluted logic. Indians are living happily and peacefully in Middle east because in most of those countries, there is rule of law and it applies to all. There is no forceful or deceitful conversion, there are no attacks on temples, no kidnapping and raping of women from minority community, there are no attacks on religious processions, etc. etc. Many Indian muslims on the other hand are known and self-professed arrogant intolerent , in collaboration with Pakistani muslims bent on making India a muslim country by 2047 and are working on this mission. It works by increasing population by conversion, infiltration, terrorism. Do you ever look at the plight of Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh? Breaking of idols and destroying temples, looting, kidnapping, raping, forceful marriage and conversions are happening even today. Does it ever bother you? Indian muslims, Pakistani muslims and Bangladeshi muslims are of this nature. The muslims of Middle east do not even consider south Asian muslims to be their own. The stand of BJP/RSS/VHP and others is that if Indian muslims need to be prevented from succeeding in their aggressive mission. That is not victimhood. That is deep sense of long term threat. So far Indian civilization has been losing territory – Sind, more than half of Punjab, Kashmir, Bengal is irreversibly lost. If Islamic aggression keeps continuing, one by one cities/states are going to become muslim majority and demand Sharia law in course of time. That is nothing but anarchy. Do you want that to happen to the India that has remained after thousands of years of invasions?
I believe the term you’re looking for is ‘Aporophobia’—prejudice against the poor. Modi and the Sangh do not have a religious phobia but a phobia of poverty itself. Their elitist stance targets ‘poor’ Muslims and Hindus alike, reflecting a historical pattern of siding with power, including during colonial times. In India, the rich dominate as the primary spending class, with businesses and policies catering to them. Poverty is seen as a ‘disease,’ and the wealthy falsely believe they alone can ‘eradicate’ it. This is why Modi and the Sangh are not threatened by Gulf Muslims—they are not specifically poor, and therefore, do not challenge the elite status quo.
Can vir Sanghvi cite any statistics about his claim of a sizeable Hindu minority in Arab countries. Does he have any numbers to back up his claim? Or are those one of his brain-fart hastily put together articles ensconced in a seemingly logical coherence of any sort.
Perhaps you need to take a relook at your own biases against Modi, BJP and Hindus in general. The Arab world does not buy your “story” which you have been trying to hard sell for a decade that Muslims are targeted, persecuted and given second grade treatment under Modi. You need to change your success if information. Let the opposition do their vote bank politics but as a senior journalist, you need to read between the lines
If we go by the mismatch between BJP’s actions rhetoric, the only place Hindus are persecuted is in India and it started after May 2014.
What a distille duffer this radis stenographer is…Opppressed hindus ina bogus rhetoruc ? tell tyhat to thousands of kashmiri pandits who were killed, raped, tortured and kicked out of their jhomes by jihadis in kashmir