Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and US President, Joe Biden addressed a joint press conference in the White House during the recent visit of the Indian Prime Minister to the United States. Both leaders faced thorny questions from the media regarding their so-called tall claims on human and minority rights, and democracy vis-a-vis ground realities in both nations. President Joe Biden was asked that many of his Democratic colleagues believe that he has overlooked the way religious minorities are being treated in India under Prime Minister Modi. Reporters asked Prime Minister Modi that India claims to be the largest democracy but reports about the mistreatment of religious minorities, especially Muslims are reported in the media regularly. Interestingly, both leaders tactfully dodged the questions and moved to other topics. President Biden claimed that democracy was in the DNA of both India and America. While, Modi blatantly replied that his government does not believe in differentiating its citizens based on color, creed, or religious beliefs which is an open lie and deceit.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently paid a three-day state visit to the United States at the invitation of President Biden. Modi’s Washington trip owes great importance to India as well as the United States amid worsening geostrategic conditions in the Indo-Pacific Seas and deteriorated ties with Beijing. Washington sees India as a critical regional partner and strategic swing state in the new global order amid ongoing global competition with Russia and China. Biden administration aimed at strengthening its defense partnership, trade, and economic collaboration with New Delhi to counterweight China.
Once denied an American visa and having been banned from entering the United States for severe violations of human rights and an alleged role in the Gujrat riots of 2002, Narendra Modi is now the most frequent visitor of the United States and receives great honor in Washington that is only reserved for close US ally that includes but limited to red carpet reception, address to a joint session of the US Congress, lavish state dinner, and joint press stakeout with the President of the United States. Interestingly, President Biden, the so-called preacher of human rights and democracy has seemingly turned a blind eye toward New Delhi’s ever-increasing human rights abuses in its country just for the sake of strengthening defense and economic ties with Modi’s India. This was not the first time that the American government shed off its commitments and promises regarding global human rights standards and stated policies on civil liberties in respect of the worst human rights record and deteriorating religious freedoms in India. According to reports, US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had comprehensively reported on massive human rights abuses and crimes against minorities in India that had increased many folds under the Modi-led BJP Hindutva regime over the past years. The USCIRF had been recommending the State Department for the past many years to designate India as a Country for Particlary Concern (CPC) because of its poor record of religious freedoms and reduced space for minorities and low-caste Hindus in certain parts of India. However, the US government looks at India as strong trade and economic partner and does not want to undermine the US interest in Bharat.
So-called secular India has now turned into a Hindu-majority state due to the ultra-nationalist policies and religion-based politics of the BJP regime that deliberately incite hate and spread Islamophobia to grasp power and increase its public rating among the Hindu nationalists. The recurrent incidents of hate speech, racism, and Islamophobia have become customary, whereas profanation of poise personality, desecration of the Holy Quran and Islamic verses, along with physical attacks on Muslim men, women, and Mosques are common in today’s India. The RSS gangs had squeezed space for Muslims, Christians, and other minorities in the so-called biggest democracy in the world. Presently, India is occupying Jammu and Kashmir by force in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions, while religious minorities and local ethnic groups are pursuing political and armed movements in Punjab, Manipur, Nagaland, Assaam, and other states to get freedom from Indian Occupation. As for the United States, hate crimes, racism, and white supremism are on the rise, while recurrent incidents of terrorism and shooting had caused serious concerns and insecurity in immigrants and people of color, however, the US government, schools, and media are currently not ready to admit this rising peril in their society.
Realistically, the US-India partnership is a marriage of convenience for both nations. As their interests coincide this relationship will grow, otherwise, their divorce would be a matter of days and weeks. Currently, both leaders admitted the presence of democracy in their DNA but could not judge betrayal, selfishness, and hegemonism in their plasma. Interestingly, thousands of Indian Muslims, Kashmiris, Sikhs, and other ethnic and religious minorities gathered on Lafayette Square outside the White House to protest the policies of the Modi government against minorities, the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, and the ongoing human rights abuses across India. Biden displayed impotence and weakness, abandoned his legacy, and even did not whisper a single word in support of millions of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Dillats who face high-handedness and prosecution at the hands of Hindu fanatics, RSS gangs, and BJP leaders in Modi’s India. Although Biden missed the opportunity and Modis eluded justice/ accountability at that moment, they would surely feel guilt throughout their life.
