India’s PM Modi wages war against Christians with impunity from US
Last week, President Joe Biden offered “the glitziest of welcomes” to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi both in the form of a prestigious state banquet and a private dinner with the President and First Lady. Given Modi’s atrocious record on human rights and religious freedom, the White House’s invitation predictably raised concerns from the broader humanitarian community. It's easy to understand why Biden took such a bold step despite its PR risks. India’s surging economy, which overtook the U.K. to become the world’s fifth-largest economy in 2022, makes it a critical partner. And Prime Minister Modi, despite the deplorable human rights violations that have occurred under the watch of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is the world’s most popular elected leader with a 77% approval rating. Yet popularity and economy should not trump morality and humanity when it comes to U.S. foreign policy. In fact, America has historically been most strongly positioned when we balance economic and political interests with human rights concerns. The White House cannot and should not overlook Prime Minister Modi and the BJP’s long record of overlooking violence and abuses. The safety and lives of countless Indians — including tens of thousands of vulnerable Indian Christians —
Manipur violence ‘genocide’, ‘another version of Gujarat riots’: Kerala Archbishop Joseph Pamplany
Archbishop Joseph Pamplany hit out at the BJP governments in the Centre and Manipur for failing to ‘quench the violence’ and alleged that Christians were being singled out and attacked. The Kerala-based Syro-Malabar Catholic Church on Thursday said the violence in Manipur has “turned into a genocide” and developed into “another version” of the 2002 Gujarat riots, with Christians being singled out and attacked. “There seems to be a concerted effort behind the riots. People have apprehension that the government is shielding those behind the riots,” Archbishop Joseph Pamplany, one of the core members of the Synod of the Catholic Church in Kerala, said on Thursday, addressing the media in Kannur. “The violence in Manipur has turned into a genocide. Both the Centre and the state governments have failed in quenching the violence. The tension in Manipur has turned into a genocide which is unheard of in the history of the country. It has developed into another version of the riots in Gujarat,” the archbishop said. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statement in the US that there is no discrimination in India, the archbishop said the Prime Minister should have made that comment looking at the face of the people of Manipur. Pamplany
DMK MP Booked For Attack On Church Priest
In a major controversy in Tamil Nadu’s Thirunelveli, DMK MP Gnana Thiravam was sent a notice by the party leadership for attacking a church priest. In a major controversy in Tamil Nadu’s Thirunelveli, DMK MP Gnana Thiravam has been sent a notice by the party leadership. In the Thirunelveli diocese of the Church of South India (CSI), the DMK MP Gnana Diraviyam served as a member of the council as well as the treasurer of the Holy Yovana Bhavan school until a few days ago. However, the MP was removed from these positions all of a sudden, without any notice. He has been replaced by Arul Manickam, a government lawyer. Shocked by this move, the DMK MP and his supporters went to the Holy Yovana Bhavan school to express their angst against the decision and seek an explanation. While talks were on, the supporters of the MP and the new officials indulged in a scuffle. Furthermore, Gnana and his supporters locked some rooms in the CSI office at Thirumandalam in Palayamkottai, Thirunelveli, and staged a protest. The authorities then insisted that the rooms should be opened and the administrative activities should not be disrupted. Meanwhile, a senior priest, Godfrey Noble, visited the CSI Thirumandalam
Church in India to observe a national day of prayer for peace in Manipur
As sectarian violence continues in Manipur, the Catholic bishops of India call for a special day of prayer for peace in the riot-hit Indian state. By Lisa Zengarini The Catholic Church of India has called for a national day of prayer on Sunday, July 2, to end the ongoing sectarian violence in Manipur. Over 100 dead and 50,000 displaced by ongoing violence The violence erupted in the north-eastern Indian state on May 3, when Hindu-majority Meitei people, who control the local political power and represent or 53 percent of its population, attacked a demonstration of Kuki tribals, who are mainly Christians, protesting against a court proposal to extend the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei. The special status grants priority in government jobs, education, and other affirmative programs meant for the indigenous people, such as the Kuki. Nearly two months since the outbreak of the violence, which so far has claimed over 100 lives and displaced more than 50,000 people, mostly Kuki Christians, unrest hasn’t yet subsided. This has been confirmed in recent days by Archbishop Dominic Lumon of Imphal, in a letter addressed to Indian bishops updating them on the latest developments. According to the prelate, clashes continue unabated, notably in the outlying areas of
Christian Family Traumatized by Ethnic Violence in India
On the evening of May 3, an ethnic Christian in northern India’s Manipur state received a call from a relative advising her to pack up and leave home with her children immediately. Manngaihlun Tombing, of the Kuki ethnic minority in Churachandpur, did not take it seriously, she said. The worst that could happen, she thought, was that the government would impose a curfew. “Keeping that in mind, I quickly rushed to a nearby store and bought enough supplies to sustain us if a curfew was imposed,” Tombing said. Little did Tombing know that she and her family would flee their home and narrowly escape death several times over the next 24 hours. Tombing lived in the area known as Paite Veng, of the state capital, Imphal, with her husband, their two children, her mother-in-law and a domestic helper when the May 3 violence began between the predominantly Christian Kuki and the Meitei, who are majority Hindu. Tombing did not anticipate that the ethnic clash that originated during a march to protest the demand of the Meitei community for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status would result in the killing of almost 200 people and leave 60,000 displaced. When she returned home from the market, she received a
The Biden-Modi Meeting Was a Failure for Democracy
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received VIP treatment at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue this week, including a state dinner with President Biden and an address to Congress. Modi’s red-carpet treatment was a significant endorsement of his governance, and one few world leaders have received. However, under Modi’s premiership, India has moved away from shared values and democratic norms, embracing Hindu nationalism and scapegoating religious minorities. While President Biden and Congressional leaders spoke about human rights and religious freedom, talk alone will not move Modi to change course. Modi accomplished much during his brief time in Washington, at little cost to his political agenda. The Joint Statement from the United States and India covers a laundry list of Indian priorities. While the document references human rights at the beginning, its 58 paragraphs overwhelmingly focus on technology and trade in ways hugely beneficial to India. Modi also scored a renewed pledge to permanently include India in a reformed United Nations Security Council and joint slap down of archrival Pakistan for terrorism. But did Modi deserve this treatment? The U.S. secured little in hard security commitments from him or other items that could bolster democracy and human rights in the region. For instance, Modi
India’s Rising Importance for the US: Potential and Grim Challenges
India's increasing inclination towards sourcing defence supplies from the US does signify a strengthening strategic partnership. However, it is important to recognise that defence cooperation takes time to mature, and challenges may arise along the way. India’s ascent on the global stage is a subject that has garnered limited attention, yet recent developments point to its growing significance. However, it is also true that India remains relatively unknown among the American public and policy circles. Its visibility in the mainstream media, financial exchanges, global supply chains, and even common stores is minimal. But the lack of widespread recognition need not diminish India’s potential impact or its emerging role in international affairs. While India’s middle class is expanding, concerns are raised about its comparability with developed nations. The overvaluation of gross domestic product (GDP) using ‘purchasing power parity’ (PPP) misrepresents India’s global economic outreach; not even comparable with China let alone the US or the European Union. It is essential to acknowledge that India’s per capita income remains far too low– ranked 139th in nominal and 127th in terms of PPP. The sheer size of the Indian market, with just under 1.5 billion consumers, and a nominal GDP of $3 trillion presents a compelling
WSJ Reporter Who Asked PM Modi Question About Human Rights Faces Twitter Abuse
The online attack on Sabrina Siddiqui, highlighting her Muslim heritage and connections to Pakistan by dint of having a parent from that country, was led by the head of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s information cell, Amit Malviya. New Delhi: Sabrina Siddiqui, the White House correspondent of the Wall Street Journal who asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi a question on alleged discrimination of minorities in India during his visit to the US, came under a targeted attack from pro-Hindutva social media users, particularly on Twitter. The online attack on Siddiqui, highlighting her Muslim heritage and connections to Pakistan by dint of having a parent from that country, was led by the head of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s information cell, Amit Malviya. Taking to Twitter, Malviya called Sabrina’s question “motivated” and that she was given a “fitting answer” by Modi which, according to him, was a “blow” to the “toolkit gang” – a pejorative phrase used by the ruling party’s IT cell head to refer to those who have questioned the BJP and the prime minister on different issues, including discrimination against Muslims. At the press conference in the White House, Sidduqe asked Modi, “India has long prided itself as the world’s largest democracy,
Indian politician’s tweet targets Barack Obama and Indian Muslims
Indian politician Himanta Biswa Sarma lashed out at former U.S. president Barack Obama in a tweet Friday, saying Indian police “should prioritize taking care of” the many “Hussain Obama” in India — a pointed reference to the country’s Muslim population. The comment came after an interview in which Obama encouraged President Biden to press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the country’s treatment of its Muslim minority population during an official state visit Thursday. Sarma serves as chief minister of Assam, a northeastern state in India with one of the highest concentrations of Muslims, and is a rising star in Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been criticized for its Hindu nationalist platform, mistreatment of Muslim minority rights and declining press freedom. Against this backdrop of human rights issues, Modi, once banned from the United States because of allegations of encouragement of religious violence, is currently in the midst of an official state visit where he has made history by being the first Indian leader to address Congress twice. Modi’s U.S. visit sends a big, if quiet, signal to China Before Modi’s second congressional address, Obama gave an interview Thursday with CNN in which he emphasized protection of India’s Muslim minority. Obama said if
How Americans are Helping Fund Hindu Extremism in India
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is an Indian right-wing, Hindu paramilitary group that has been accused of promoting violence and intolerance under the guise of Hinduism. It was founded in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, a physician and activist who drew inspiration from fascist movements in Europe. Hedgewar’s goal was to establish a Hindu-only nation in India. The RSS adopts a paramilitary structure, training its members in hand-to-hand combat and weapons, preparing them for potential conflicts with Muslims and other minority groups. The RSS has close ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party, India’s ruling political party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a former member of the RSS. The RSS and other Hindu nationalist groups played a key role in Modi’s national rise to power a decade ago. The history of the RSS is tainted by bloodshed. One notable incident was the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 by Nathuram Vinayak Godse, a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Additionally, its members were involved in the destruction of the Babri Masjid mosque in 1992. The RSS’s alleged complicity in the Gujarat riots of 2002, led to accusations against Modi himself, who was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at the time. Because of
