US can afford to go on bullying India
Posted : March 22, 2005 at 10:19 am [IST]
David Mulford, the US Ambassador to India has justified the denial of visa to Narendra Modi in a statement today. The Ministry of External Affairs requested the Department of State to review the decision to revoke his (Modis) tourist/business visa. Upon review, the State Department reaffirmed the original decision. The decision, he clarified, applied only to Modi and not to the BJP or the Gujarati community.
The decision was based on the fact that as head of theGujarat government between February and May 2002, Modi was responsible for the performance of state institutions at that time. The State Departments detailed views on this matter, he said, were included in its annual country reports on human rights practices and the International Religious Freedom Report.
Both reports document the violence in Gujarat from February to May 2002 and cite the Indian National Human Rights Commission report, which records that there was comprehensive failure on the part of the state government to control the persistent violation of rights to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the people of the state.
Reacting to the Ambassadors statement and regretting the US decision, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said this disregards the fact of the constitutional position of the Chief Minister of Gujarat as a democratically elected leader and appears to be based on selective judgment. Democratic tradition and practice must uphold the dignity of political office that is bya result of elections and has the mandate of the people of that country or state.
It is good that the whole country but for some religious bodies have reacted against the US decision. Refusal of the visa to Narendra Modi shows how US treats the sentiments of India and Indians. US hardly care for India and Indians. It is basically India and we, Indians who keep on clinging to this so-called super-power and get bullied. It will always happen, and Indians will always tolerate that. What happened when the NDA convener and cabinet minister was humiliated at US airport?
India must be economically powerful enough to make US bend and change its way of dealings. US keep on overlooking Pakistan. It overlooks when China does something against human rights. What does it do when China suppresses all the peoplesprotests brutally?
Lesson for all Indians: You are to be strong to be seen by others. Let us grow faster.
- Indra
Category: Indian politics |
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