The Indian Panorama

Tag: Vishwa Hindu Parishad

  • India welcomes confirmation of Eric Garcetti as U.S. Ambassador

    India welcomes confirmation of Eric Garcetti as U.S. Ambassador

    NEW DELHI (TIP): India has welcomed the confirmation of U.S. Ambassador-designate Eric Garcetti by the Senate saying that New Delhi looks forward to work with him to advance bilateral relations. The statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) came as past comments from Mr. Garcetti on the human rights record of India became viral over the past week which drew criticism from multiple stakeholders, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

    “Let me emphasize, we welcome the confirmation of Mr. Eric Garcetti as the Ambassador to India. We look forward to working with him to take forward our multifaceted bilateral relation,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in response to a question from The Hindu. Mr. Garcetti’s confirmation had been stuck at the legislative level in the U.S. where he faced multiple hurdles, including allegations of sexual harassment by his chief of staff Rick Jacobs.

    Mr. Garcetti’s confirmation was expected since July 2021 when President Joe Biden nominated him to be the U.S. Ambassador to India. Further revelations on Mr. Garcetti came in a right-wing news portal Daily Caller that alleged he had close links with Chinese officials. At the same time, a 2021 video showing him speak on India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) also went viral. In the video Mr. Garcetti is shown arguing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that he will take up human rights issues in India during his tenure and said, “These will not just be afterthoughts for me…I have fought for human rights on four different continents and will be a core part of what I will pursue with my Indian counterpart.” Responding to the video, VHP’s national spokesperson Vinod Bansal told The Hindu that Mr. Garcetti’s remarks on the CAA and the human rights scenario in India showed “his lack of understanding” of the Indian scenario.

    “We welcome his confirmation but his comments on the largest democracy in the world shows that he is not fully informed about the Indian scenario. It will be better if he forms a better understanding of the issues relevant to India before taking up the post of the U.S. Ambassador here,” said Mr. Bansal alleging that there had been a spike in “anti-India “propaganda” in the U.S.

    Mr. Bagchi, however, clarified that Mr. Garcetti’s comments on CAA did not originate recently and said, “Our position on many of these issues are well known.”

    (Source: The Hindu)

     

     

     

  • Will India be another Germany under Hitler?

    Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja

    India has undergone much change since 2014 when Narendra Modi came in as the Prime Minister of India. The nation is now better known abroad for a mix of reasons. To Modi supporters, India has gained popularity because of Modi’s charisma and the great work he has done. To Modi’s detractors, India has gained more notoriety than popularity. They cite lynchings of a minority community members, atrocities on minorities, including rape of Dalit women, and frequent violation of human rights.

    An objective analysis reveals a terrifying pattern reminiscent of Hitler’s times. Hitler spoke of the superiority of German race. One cannot miss the same message coming from the BJP and its supporting Hindu organizations- the RSS, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and many more. The hatred of Hitler’s Nazi party for the Jews is comparable with the hatred of the BJP combine mentioned above, for Muslims who have been target of lynchings ever since Modi came to power.

    The Hindutva group in power is speaking the language of Hitler when it comes to punishing Muslims who they describe as anti- national, unpatriotic and even Pakistanis. Just as Hitler put thousands to death in gas chambers, the Hindutva group wants Muslims to be annihilated. The process was initiated much before Modi became Prime Minster. He was then Chief Minister of Gujarat. In the now infamous massacre of Muslims in the post -Godhra incidents Modi was seen as the promoter of violence against Muslims. Several police and civil officers besides the credible community witnesses recorded evidence of involvement of Chief Minister Modi, Home Minister Shah and other BJP and Hindutva leaders in the mayhem.

    The disturbing reports reaching the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee made him make a statement in the Indian parliament on the grim situation and violence against one community called upon Chief Minister Modi to follow the “Raj Dharma” – the duty of the king to treat all equally and to protect all equally.

    The pattern, I said earlier above, is quite clear and disturbing. What is different from Hitler pattern in India is the scope of Hindutva hatred which extends to other minorities, too. Christians are as much a target of hatred and violence, as the Muslims.

    Add to the list the Dalits and the hundreds of tribes living a subhuman existence who are not considered Hindus by the Hindutva groups which are dominated and controlled by the Caste Hindus. They are tolerated because they have votes which the BJP is always eager to grab. What happened to the farmers, mostly Sikhs, in Lakhimpur Kheri was to happen, anyways. The kind of language of hate which has been coming from BJP chief Ministers in UP and Haryana was enough to prepare the BJP/RSS/ VHP Hindutva cadres to go into action.  It is just a warning shot.  As they say, the teaser. The full drama is yet to come from the BJP. And, it falls to a pattern in much the same way as a calculated military strike against an enemy. Imagine a government which looks upon some of its citizens as enemies and treats them as such!

    Any just government would not allow a minister accused of homicide to continue in the government. But it happens in Modi government. Any just administration would not let a man accused of brutal killing of people under a vehicle roam free. But it happens in the Yogi government of UP. The BJP Chief Ministers of UP and Haryana behave like autocrats denying people entry into the State without any valid reason. And, what’s more, arresting people at will, again without any valid reason. You talk of human rights. Wait and see, you will find them telling people they have no right to life until specifically granted by them.

    It all bodes ill for democracy in India. Let the politicians in opposition to the BJP governments know if they don’t see the threat to democracy in India now, they may find it too late in one or two years. I only hope, there are enough people in India who would remember the sacrifices made by thousands upon thousands to achieve freedom from foreign yoke and bring to masses the sweet taste of democracy. And I hope they will value the sacrifices of liberators of India and do all that they can to preserve the liberty of each Indian in a functional democracy.

  • Indian-American Diaspora to be wooed by Biden, ‘Team of Six’ Democrats

    Indian-American Diaspora to be wooed by Biden, ‘Team of Six’ Democrats

    NEW YORK (TIP): Having announced Kamala Harris his running mate, Democratic candidate Joe Biden will begin his battle with incumbent Donald Trump for the Indian-American votes with a special message on India’s Independence Day.

    Of special interest will be the six Democrats who will feature with him. They include four Indian-Americans, three of them women. It is expected that these six will play a prominent role in Biden’s foreign policy pitch during the elections.

    The four are Seema Sadanandan, Sonal Shah, Nisha Biswal and Richard Varma

    Some of them will also help fine-tune Biden’s message for the Indian diaspora whose large section is also looking at the Republicans, especially because of the tough words spoken by some Democrat leaders on Kashmir and the turmoil due to CAA and NRC.

    A former flatmate of Biden’s daughter, Seema Sadanandan has been involved with the former Vice-President’s social work and has spoken on police reforms even during Barack Obama’s first tenure as President.

    Another Indian-American is Sonal Shah, who once called herself a proud Vishwa Hindu Parishad member, but recanted from her involvement and condemned the Gujarat riots after joining the Obama administration in 2009.

    Nisha Biswal has remained in the limelight here as she became president of the US-India Business Council soon after handling the India desk among other responsibilities at the State Department during the Obama administration.

    Honored by the Modi government with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, Biswal like the fourth Indian-American Richard Varma has been deeply involved with policy matters involving India and is aware of the pressure points and red lines. Varma had served three years as the US Ambassador to India and is closely associated with the Democrats.

    The other two — Jakes Sullivan and Tony Blinken — were heavyweights in the Obama administration and are tipped for posts of National Security Adviser or even Secretary of State if Biden wins in November.