The United States and India said the two sides would extend their cooperation in different sectors, including climate, health care, space, and economy. Washington and New Delhi pledged the committment during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
However, human rights activists, supporters of democracy, media freedom and US legislators questioned Bident’s administration to honour PM Modi with a pomp-filled state visit. Indian PM has faced strong criticism over amending India’s citizenship law, violence against religious minorities, especially Muslims, by Hindu extremist groups, and the recent conviction of India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi for mocking Narendra Modi’s surname.
The same question was raised by US former President Back Obama, who said that “If you do not protect the rights of minorities in India, then there is a very strong possibility that India at some point starts pulling apart.”
In an exclusive interview with CNN, the former president warned of consequences if India did not shelter minorities in India. He called for the safety of minorities in India as President Biden hosted Narendra Modi in Washington.
However, in a joint news conference with US President Biden, Modi bristled at a journalist’s question about India’s obligation to democratic norms and values as New Delhi has seen corrosion of religious, political, and media freedoms under his regime.
Similarly, a group of 70 lawmakers wrote to President Biden this week asking him to raise concerns about the corrosion of media, political and religious freedoms during the visit of Prime Minister Modi.
Six Democratic legislators also boycotted Modi’s address to the US Congress due to concerns about his human rights records. The lawmakers Bush, Bowman, Tlaib, and Omar said in a joint statement, By giving Modi with the rare honor of a joint speech, the US Congress weakens its ability to be a reliable advocate for the rights of religious minorities and journalists at global level.”
In short, we can say that Modi’s state visit to Washington has prompted criticism and protest from Muslim leaders, lawmakers, rights activists and religious minorities.
A large number of Indian citizens also held a protest demonstration against the current violence in Manipur state in front of the White House. They asked Narendra Modi to break his silence over Manipur violence and lawlessness.
The protesters were members of the Kuki tribe from Manipur state. The protestors held posters and banners inscribed with slogans “Stop attacking homes, villages” and “ Modi: Hear the screams of Kuki tribe, halt the state-backed pogrom in Manipur state of India”.
Lien Gangte, a member of the North American Manipur Tribal Association (NAMTA) said, “PM Modi has been deafeningly silent over the lawlessness in Manipur”. Hundreds of protestors gathered outside the White House and demanded Biden and Congress to ask tough questions from Modi about human rights abuses, internet blackouts, and hate violence against Muslims, Dalits, and other minorities in the South Asian country. The development took place as NAMTA also wrote a letter to Biden emphasizing the current conditions of the minority Kuki-Zomi tribes in Manipur state. The letter urged President Biden to take immediate steps before the crisis escalates further.
In 2005, the United States canceled Modi’s visa to the U.S., quoting concerns that, as chief minister (CM) of Gujarat, he did not take steps to prevent violence against Muslims in 2002. More than 1000 people were killed in the Gujarat riots. India currently ranks 161 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index on part because of Modi’s raids on BBC offices in India. Since Prime Minister Modi’s election in 2014, India has approved a contentious citizenship law, and canceled the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), according to a US State Department report, with inflammatory rhetoric from members of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The US seeks to deepen cooperation with New Delhi, recognizing it as a strategic partner in countering China’s influence in the region. However, human rights advocate express anxiety that geopolitical considerations may surpass the need to address human rights concerns in the South Asian country. Multiple rights groups in the United States also held protest demonstrations during Modi’s visit.
Some authentic media reports suggest that top Judiciary in India has also become an apparatus for attacking government critics and allowing the murderers of religious minorities especially Mullims to walk free. We can conclude that by welcoming PM Modi to Washington and remaining silent on his dark record of hate and violence, Washington is, in effect, giving a culture of hate a free permit. The US leadership should have used this opportunity to reject Modi’s violent vision. It seems that Washington is turning a blind eye to Modi’s dark history and helping to legitimize the ideology of those extremists, who publicly advocate the killing and expulsion of Indian minority groups, especially Muslims.
