by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, News
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi addresses the Centenary Celebrations of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), through video conference, in New Delhi on December 22, 2020.
Aligarh: (Press Release)”Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) represents a ‘mini India’. Its campus is like a city in itself. We see a Mini India among different departments, dozens of hostels, thousands of teachers and professors. The diversity which we see here is not only the strength of this university but also of the entire nation,” said the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi Ji.
He was delivering the keynote address as the Chief Guest of Centenary celebrations at the University via videoconferencing. AMU, set up in 1920, has completed 100 years of existence as a centre of higher learning. The Prime Minister also released a special commemorative postal stamp in the event which was also joined by the Union Education Minister, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank as the Guest of Honour.
Prime Minister, Shri Modi Ji hailed the contribution of AMU in nation-building and in elevating India’s position internationally through the extensive researches conducted in the university.
He pointed out that at AMU, if students receive education in Urdu, so can they in Hindi and if on one side students study Arabic at the University, they also study and research in Sanskrit.
“It is engrossing to see religious scriptures of Hindus, Muslims and other faiths shelved together at the Maulana Azad Library of the university. This is what India is all about, and AMU functions every day on this principle,” said Prime Minister Modi.
He elaborated: “Sir Syed Ahmed Khan said that when you receive education and come into the work sphere, you must work towards all, without any discrimination, without seeing caste or creed or religion. That is a thought that we must always carry with us.”
The Prime Minister further said: We must not forget this power of diversity, nor let it get weakened. We should work together to ensure that spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’ grows stronger day by day in the campus of Aligarh Muslim University.
He also pointed out that AMU has crafted and polished millions of lives, giving people modern and scientific thinking and inspiring them to do something for the society and the Nation,” said Prime Minister Modi.
Acknowledging the role of the university in country’s fight against Covid-19, the Prime Minister said: “During this tough time, the way AMU helped out society is phenomenal. Getting people tested, creating isolation wards and contributing a big amount to PM-CARES, show how people related to AMU are committed to the Nation.”
He stated: The school dropout rate among Muslim girls was more than 70 per cent and this situation persisted in India for 70 years. In these circumstances, the government started Swachh Bharat Mission, built toilets in villages and toilets for school-going girls. Now this rate has fallen to nearly 30 per cent.
“At AMU, the research done in Urdu, Arabic and Persian language is commendable. Especially the research conducted in Islamic history elevates the position of India in the Islamic world and gives new energy to India’s relation with them,” he said.
PM Narendra Modi emphasised, “AMU alumni represent the rich heritage and the culture of India wherever they go.”
“It is fascinating to see how the history of education attached to AMU buildings is India’s valuable heritage. I often meet AMU alumni during my foreign visits, who very proudly say that they have studied at AMU,” said the Prime Minister.
He further pointed out that the country is marching forward on the path where every citizen would get the benefits of development happening in the country without any discrimination.
The country is on the path where every citizen should rest assured about their constitutional rights and their future, said the Prime Minister.
I assure you that no citizen irrespective of religion, cast and creed would be left behind on the path of Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, said the Prime Minister adding that everyone will get equal opportunities to fulfil their dreams.
The Prime Minister invited suggestions from students of AMU to achieve the goal of ‘Vocal for Local’, New India, Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
He also said that alumni of AMU had actively contributed to the freedom struggle of India.
The Guest of Honour, Union Education Minister, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said that AMU has come a long way since its establishment as a university in 1920.
“AMU has emerged as one of the premier most Indian institutes of the Nation producing Bharat Ratnas like the Frontier Gandhi, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Dr Zakir Husain. The success story includes seminal contributions of its students and faculty members to various areas of knowledge,” said the Education Minister adding that scientist alumni from AMU have brought laurels to the nation.
He pointed out that AMU had Begum Sultan Jahan as its first Chancellor in 1920 and this was a unique example of women empowerment at a time, when women had very little space in public services.
Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal said that India has a strong leadership and the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will transform the Country.
“NEP 2020 will bring integration of academic, professional and vocational education; while revamping curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and student support for enhanced student experiences,” he said adding that the policy attempts to bring into focus the notion of knowledge of many arts or liberal arts from the country’s historical education system to 21st Century education system.
For the successful implementation and execution of NEP 2020, we have a huge expectation from our higher educational institutions like AMU and we are looking forward to their constant support, said the Education Minister.
Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal emphasised that India is becoming a Vishwa Guru (World Leader) and it is the responsibility of our educational institutions to lead in the realm of education and ideas and to deepen the understanding of our intellectual heritage. The light of education coming out of AMU will lead the path for Naya Bharat (New India).
Welcoming the Prime Minister, AMU Vice Chancellor, Professor Tariq Mansoor said, “Today is a historical day as our University not only completes 100 glorious years from its inception, but it is after a gap of 56 years, an incumbent Prime Minister of the country is taking part in the University celebrations. ”
He added: “Today, as per official figures, the Muslims are at the lowest rung of the education and socio-economic ladder. They need the support of the Government of India and various other agencies for the upliftment. AMU offers unstinted support in achieving this goal in accordance with Section 5 (2) c of the AMU Act. AMU is also at the forefront in the struggle to achieve Womens’ Empowerment through Education. ”
The Vice Chancellor said that Shri Narendra Modi is a visionary leader who has dedicated his entire life to the service of our country and has provided India and all Indians a bold and lofty vision.
“The presence of the Prime Minister has ignited possibility and hope among all of us. For centuries despite diversities, we are living as a people in oneness and this is what makes Bharat unique and this is a message to the whole world,” he emphasised.
“Prime Minister’s life story is an inspiration to every Indian as it is full of exemplary work ethics, dedication, rising by overcoming hardship and obstacles. He played a pivotal role in elevating India’s image globally and with his vision and farsightedness, India has taken a firm stand against expansionist policies in our neighbourhood, and this has been appreciated much, the world over,” pointed out Prof Mansoor.
He furher said: “Under the astute leadership of Shri Modi, India has been able to strengthen its traditional and historical ties with the West Asian countries as well as other world powers. The welfare of the economically poor is always the foremost priority of the Prime Minister and we have witnessed this in various schemes launched during his tenure.”
Prof Mansoor also pointed out that by committing to ‘Sabka Sath SabkaVikas’, the Prime Minister has voiced his concern for the economic and social upliftment of India’s poorest.
“I take this opportunity to congratulate the Hon’ble Prime Minister and Education Minister for the New Education Policy, which will transform the education system in India. The Education Minister has provided able leadership in the field of education in the time of Covid-19 Pandemic,” said Prof Mansoor.
He added, “On this historic event, thousands of alumni, like me, feel an overwhelming sense of pride and love for our founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, who was a patriot of the soil. The guiding principle of Sir Syed’s life is described in one of his famous quotes ‘The first requisite for the progress of a nation, is the brotherhood and unity among all sections of the society’.
Sir Syed was a champion of Hindu Muslim Unity, he practically demonstrated how to achieve communal harmony and brotherhood among people of all faiths, the Vice Chancellor said.
“Besides being a great seat of learning in traditional fields, AMU today is also at the forefront in imparting modern and scientific education,” he emphasised.
The Vice Chancellor said that AMU which is an institution of National importance needs continued support to maintain its historic, special and constitutional character for the good of the nation.
“AMU has contributed immensely in the country’s struggle for independence, and nation building, throughout its history. This institution has changed the lives and destinies of innumerable families, majority of who, belong to the economically weaker sections of the society,” said Prof Mansoor.
AMU Chancellor, His Holiness, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin said that AMU has not only established itself as the Premier Indian centre of learning, but it has also raised the bar of Indian education system in the international community.
He added that the Islamic faith lays stress on gaining knowledge and implementing and extending to others. It is the duty of the Muslims to benefit the society and the Nation with their knowledge.
He praised Prime Minister, Shri Modi for his exemplary work and prayed for his long life and good health.
Speaking on the achievements of AMU in the past century, Prof Ali Mohammad Naqvi (Director, Sir Syed Academy) said that the list of AMU’s illustrious alumni comprise heads of states, Supreme Court judges, eminent scientists, writers, poets and freedom fighters.
He added that AMU has hosted nobel laureates including Dr C V Raman, Dalai Lama and Prof Tajaki Kajita.
Prof Naima Khatoon (Principal, Women’s College) said that the fact that the first AMU Chancellor was a woman is a testimony to of the vision of women empowerment at AMU since its establishment.
She spoke on how the Women’s College, Women’s Polytechnic and a dedicated Advanced Centre for Women Studies at AMU are immensely contributing to empower women.
AMU Pro Vice Chancellor, Prof Zaheerudddin and Pro Chancellor, Nawab Ibne Saeed Khan of Chhatari also attended the online programme.
AMU Registrar, Mr Abdul Hamid (IPS) extended the vote of thanks. Dr Faiza Abbasi conducted the programme.
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business, News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives now have more per capita GDP than India
New Delhi: The social media is buzzing after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted that Bangladesh will overtake India in per capita GDP for 2020.
As India’s growth falls, amongst the most in the world, India is on track to fall below Bangladesh in terms of the per capita GDP. India will grow smartly next year, as per IMF.
As per the World Economic Outlook report of IMF released on Tuesday, India’s per capita GDP is set to plunge by 10.5 percent to $1,877 this fiscal year ending March 31, 2021.
This will make India the third poorest country in South Asia with only Pakistan and Nepal behind.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives now have more per capita GDP than India.
Bangladesh’s per capita GDP in dollar terms is expected to grow 4 per cent in 2020 to $1,888, overtaking India.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked the BJP government on this count. “Solid achievement of 6 years of BJP’s hate-filled cultural nationalism: Bangladesh set to overtake India”.
Stock market expert and Director Enam Holdings, Manish Chokhani tweeted, “Today’s special. Both our neighbours marching ahead. We wish them well and hope our achievements meet our own aspirations!”.
Chokhani added a clipping of Bangladesh overtaking India and China’s booming economy and stock markets. The tweet was tagged to business and stock market leaders Samir Arora, Nilesh Shah, Anand Mahindra, Harsh Goenka and Harsh Mariwala.
Till five years back, India’s per capita GDP was 40 per cent higher than Bangladesh. In the last five years, Bangladesh has grown three times the rate of India, at 9.1 per cent compared to 3.2 per cent for India, a much larger economy.
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the Jawans at 11,000 feet height he sent a powerful message to China that it’s no more LAC, its LOC now, though he never uttered such words.
Syed Ali Mujtaba
PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi’s visit to a forward post in Ladakh served as a morale booster for the forces and by addressing the Jawans at 11,000 feet height he sent a powerful message to China that it’s no more LAC, its LOC now, though he never uttered such words.
“The age of expansionism is over. History knows that expansionist forces have either lost or were forced to turn back. The weak can never accomplish peace, the brave do,” PM said from the top of the mountain.
The Prime Minister was trying to say that India will no more tolerate the Chinese aggression. In other words what he meant henceforth there is no more going to be Line of Actual Control and it will be Line of Control that India will protect.
India’s border with China traverses through the Union territory of Ladakh (1,597 km), Himachal Pradesh (200 km), Uttarakhand (345 km), Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh (1126 km).
India says it shares a 3,488 km border with China. China says it shares only 2,000 km of border with India. The difference of 1,126 km is Arunachal Pradesh that India controls but China claims it its own. Also China does not recognize the 362 km boundary claim of India.
All this is because India insists on the McMahon line that British delineated as the boundary between India and China that China does not recognise. It has imaginarily and unilaterally demarcated a Line of Actual Control that it has dictated after the 1962 war.
Also read: Modi Rallies Troops at China Border, as Beijing Urges Caution
So the fundamental difference between India and China is the land boundary question of 1,488 km and two countries hold different perceptions of the boundary line at different places of the imagined border.
Going back to history, there was no demarcated boundary between India and China since antiquity. What actually was only a frontier between the two countries?
The Princely state of Jammu and Kashmir though held the sovereignty of Ladakh but had long given its suzerainty to China that controlled most of Ladakh.
After the merger of the Princely state of Jammu and Kashmir to Indian Union, Ladakh became part of the Indian territory, with conflicting claims between India and Pakistan over the entire territory of the erstwhile princely state, with China still holding its sway over eastern portion of Ladakh.
In 1949, China that actually held suzerainty over Tibet occupied it and lay claim over its sovereignty. It made Tibet its autonomous region to which India and other countries objected. Meanwhile, India incorporated the McMahon line in its Constitution in 1950 and demarcated its boundary with China, to which China objected.
There were protests in Tibet against China’s occupation that was alleged to be supported by India. China in order to quell the uprising started making the concrete road in the Aksai Chin region of Ladakh to carry its troops from its Xingjian province to Tibet.
China completed this link road in 1957 amidst India’s objections that Aksai Chin is Indian territory. The situation on the ground deteriorated that led to the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The war ended with a unilateral ceasefire by China.
After the end of the war, Line of Actual Control emerged that was mutually agreed upon but remained un-demarcated lines with both India and China having different perceptions over it. Both India and China moved back its troops to 20 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control that divided areas under Indian and Chinese control.
It is because of unresolved and un-demarcated boundary issues with China that transgressions and face-offs between both side’s patrols happened at regular intervals at different locations of the LAC.
The situation was resolved through the mutually established protocols to maintain peace and tranquility on the border. These protocols with China were established to resolve issues amicably at the local formation commander level and the resolving mechanism involved the local Border Personnel Meeting (BPM).
The rapprochement between the two countries reached in 1976 enabled India and China to initiate High Level border talks in 1981 to find a solution to the vexed problem. After eight rounds, the talks broke down in 1987.
In 1988, following Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to China, the Joint Working Group (JWG) was set up to look into the border problem.
The two countries signed agreements in 1993 and 1996 to respect the Line of Actual Control. In 1993, the Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was signed. The India-China Expert Group of Diplomatic and Military Officers was set up to assist the JWG.
In 1996, the Agreement on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) in the Military Field along the LAC was signed. In 2003, two special representatives (one each from India and China) were appointed to find a political solution to the border dispute. Till 2009, these two special representatives had held 17 rounds of talks, but it seems they did not make much headway.
The Modi government appointed National Security Advisor Ajit Doval as Special Envoy for talks with China but he has hardly done anything noticeable.
Then the India and China stand-off took place in 2017 at Doklam. After some 70 days of being engaged in combat mood, the two sides disengaged.
The Doklam issue was discussed in the Wuhan Summit in 2018 and two nations decided to issue “strategic guidance” to their militaries to strengthen communications so that they can build trust and understanding.
This was further reciprocated by the second India-China informal summit at Mamallapuram near Chennai in 2019 that was to take forward the Wuhan agenda.
However, in May 2020 clashes broke out between Indian and Chinese soldiers first at Pangong Lake on May 5 and then at Naku La sector in Sikkim on May 9. This was followed by violent clashes in Galwan Valley in Ladakh on June 15, when 20 Indian soldiers were brutally killed. Since then Indian and Chinese troops have moved in extra troops to positions opposite each other and currently it is in eyeball to eyeball contact mode.
What is seen in the attempts so far made to resolve the issues several times that the problem has remained the same and there is no forward movement because of the vast difference in perception about the actual boundary line between the two countries?
This time with the Prime Minister visiting the forward location in Ladakh, he has sent the message to the Chinese that he is not going to take things lying down any more.
The Prime Minister’s visit to Ladakh gives ample hint that India wants to dig deep into its position and has unofficially declared that there is no more LAC and what remains is the LOC that India is protecting now.
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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
By Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: In the wake of Chinese transgression, the Modi Government banned 59 Chinese mobile applications while the Prime Minister, Minister Narendra reiterated the call of making “atmanirbhar Bharat” or India self- reliant. The PM on May 12 had first asked the countrymen to “go vocal for local” and announced an economic package of Rs 21 lakh crores to make the country self-reliant. However, analysts and economists took these announcements and measures with a pinch of salt. They are of the view that banning of apps fell way short of making any dent on the Chinese economy. They also of the firm view that India is heavily dependent on import in each sector, therefore, slogan like “atmanirbhar Bharat” lacks substance.
Before the violent clashes broke out with China in Ladakh in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, the PM had exhorted the people that the coronavirus outbreak should be used an opportunity to create an “atmanirbhar Bharat” or self-sustaining India.
Muslim Mirror talked to some noted economists on the issue who said it is a commendable idea but in the given state of affairs, the goal of self reliant is distant dream.
Renowned economist Dr Abusaleh Shariff, Executive Director, US-India Policy Institute, Washington, opines that he does not find any great spectacle when the PM said to become self reliant as it is a good ordinary suggestion.
Dr Shariff, who was chief economist of National Council of Applied Economic Research, said the concept of self reliance in our blood since independence and Gandhi called for self-reliance.
Around the 1990s India became open and part of a globalized world so since globalization took place our GDP has increased tremendously so we have in that sense we have reaped the benefits of globalization, he added.
Even before the COVID situation, India was already getting into a recession mode and the economy may grow to 5% or 4.5%, he underlined and added that lockdown brought almost all economic activities to standstill even in the relaxation in lockdown we are unable to recover so given this tough kind of situation and the government has given that capital support for various types of people they call it 21 lakh crore so it is just a number to me but the point the PM is making is that these are the tough days and now we have to become self reliant.
In response to another question, Dr Shariff said India cannot become self reliant.
“Can we become self reliant and recover, in my judgment NO.” He pointed out that just the last week India achieved the highest amount of FDI that India has ever achieved which is half a trillion dollars.
“Now what does this say now on the one side the PM says we want self-reliant but on the other we see the indication that a lot of foreigners and a lot of outsiders are investing in India”.
Why foreign investors are coming to India? He said because in India their money recovery will be faster than the recovery in Japan, Europe and other developed nations.
He said there is a dualism in the policy approach of the PM on the one side he advocates for self reliance on the other the economic stats suggests not self reliance.
“So there is a dualism in the policy approach of our PM on the one side they suggest that self reliance on the other our economic stats suggests not self reliance, there is a huge amount of invest coming from outside and ultimately the money comes to India because they feel they can create a value out of it and take the profit out of India.”
He said getting huge investments from outsiders is a bad idea and India cannot become self reliance.
“The FDI looks good everybody wants FDI but actually as an economist who also believes in self reliance it is a bad idea to get huge investments from outsiders because ultimately the outsiders will take the money out they will take their profit out of India from 5 years from now 10 years from now depending on how much money is given. In that sense India cannot be self-reliant.”
He further highlighted that India is totally dependent on imports of intermediary items and intermediary items are those kinds of technologies which you bring from somewhere else because you can’t manufacture them you don’t have technology you buy them from other countries so that your machines your company you’re railways your lathe machines can function.
We import these kinds of machinery a lot from China. In fact India ‘s reconstruction post COVID era cannot take place without the support or without the help of technological stuff from China.
In the current stand-off with China, Dr Shariff,, said India should resolve that issue with diplomatic efforts as the USA is not a reliable friend.
India China bahi bhai must prevail, this is very relevant today and PM Modi has to use diplomacy and reduce the tensions from the LAC and not to rely on the USA because nobody can trust the USA in the long term.
However, Prof Amir Ullah Khan has a different take on this who teaches Economics at the MCRHRDI of the Government of Telangana. , According to him “Self reliance does not mean that we produce everything ourselves. It means that we are able to pay for everything that we would like to consume. It is inefficient to produce everything yourself.
The terms of trade are important. To work towards a healthy trade surplus, India must aim for positive terms of trade which will mean that our exports fetch us higher returns and import prices go down.
Any country that tries to make everything within its borders becomes inefficient and goods and services become expensive.”
While Former Science and technology and Education Minister Kapil Sibal dubs the PM’s call as just another slogan. He said “It is just a slogan as all the government policies today are benefitting international players. That’s the only thing we ‘Make in India’, slogans, every few months, there are new slogans, which is ‘Made in India’ here we are master’s of that.
What self-reliance are you talking about? What kind of Jumla is this for the people of the country?
Before March24, there was much talk about 2 G in the health sector, namely Gomutra and Gobar. What kind of scientific thought is this? Is this how we are going to make ourselves self-reliant?”
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
By Syed Ali Mujtaba
The Gulf fall out of the Covid-19 on India is the repatriation of the Indian workers working in the Gulf region. India is making a major evacuation plan involving its Navy, Air Force and Air India to take back Indians facing job loss due to plummeting oil prices and continuous lock down due to Covid-19. Such operation of taking back some 20 lakh people is expected to take place sometime after May 3 when the lock down ends in India.
The Gulf countries have made it clear that it would not to renew visas of Indian migrants that have expired during this pandemic period and have to leave their country. They have also made clear to restructure its ‘cooperation’ and ‘labour’ relations with India after the pandemic is over. These include imposing strict future restrictions on the “recruitment” and introducing “quota system” in the recruitment process. It is also said to have terminated the MoUs signed earlier in this regard.
It looks the fall out of Covid – 19 and the carefully crafted ‘political project’ in India has cast an evil shadow on the Indians working in the gulf region. It is estimated that about eight million Indians are working in the Gulf region, with about 3.2 million in the UAE alone. It appears their honeymoon with the gulf region is getting over.
How far the Hindu zealots spread of Islamophobia is responsible to it can be debated but the conspiracy of silence of the ruling elite in India to reign in these radicals gives the impression of condoning the acts of Islmophobia even at the expense of India’s historic ties with the Gulf region.
Ever since the world got riddled with Covid-19 epidemic, in India the novel virus took a communal turn. Muslims and Islam has become a subject of rebuke and the entire community was held responsible for the spread of the unseen virus. The tweets on social media, the reports on television, newspaper and websites were all awash with linkage of the pandemic with the Muslim community.
These angry comments targeting Muslims were largely due to the linkage of the Covid-19 with Tablgi Markaz congregation in New Delhi. The hate orchestra was played in the full volume and all and sundry took a pot shot on Muslims and Islam.
There was a complete silence of the Indian ruling elite on the untimely rise of Islamophbia in the country. They instead of given stern warming to the hate mongers chose conspiracy of silence that endorsed the hate mongering industry flourishing in India.
Professor Ashok Swain, who is at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University says; “Islamophobia has reached its peak in India with the increasing rise of Coronavirus crisis. This is not just a primordial reaction of a society, but a very well planned and finely executed political project of the ruling elite.”
Professor Swain attributes this to the mismanagement of the government in handling the pandemic and the serious economic crisis India faces. He goes on to say; “India’s Hindu nationalist regime aims to give the coronavirus crisis a communal color, which will give it an escape route from its abject policy failures and also at the same time the increasing anti-Muslim environment that will bring much political benefit in the future. Coronavirus has brought a very serious crisis for India, but for the Narendra Modi regime, it has also provided a powerful political opportunity.”
This ‘Islmophobia project’ of the ruling elite in India took a new turn, when the exchanges between Hindu nationalists and some sections of the Gulf’s elite – royal family members, business persons, professionals and human rights activists etc started playing a ping pong game on the social media. The exchange of unsavory words by few Indians caught the attention of the Arab world as they saw a new face of India that is abusive of Muslims and Islam.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a federation of 57 Muslim nations came up with a statement condemn the developments in India in chose the harsh words; “the unrelenting vicious Islamophobic campaign in India, maligning Muslims for spread of Covid-19 as well as their negative profiling in media subjecting them to discrimination and violence with impunity is highly deplorable.” It called for a special session of the OIC to deal with the problem of Islamophobia emanating from India that otherwise was supposed to meet in April in Islamabad on India’s new stand on Kashmir.
Similarly, Kuwait a member of the ‘Arab League’ which comprise of 22 Gulf States has called for an emergency session to deal with problem of anti-Muslim anti Islam propaganda going on in India.
The reasons of such Arab annoyance was the patronage given by the Indian ruling elite to churn out anti-Muslim propaganda, disseminate fake news, abuse Muslims through hundreds of messages on social media that all looked like a ‘well-crafted’ state project.
To the Indian the ruling elite when this ‘political project’ looked slipping out of control, it engaged in damage control exercise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held telephone conversation with the leaders of the Gulf countries reminding them that India continues to be secular and pluralistic country. This was followed-up by India’s Foreign Minister Jaishankar who talked to the Foreign Ministers of Gulf region and committed that India is not on the throes of any rhetorical shift.
Prime Minster Narandar Modi tried to clarify the controversy building around Covid-19 in India with a tweet on April 19. “COVID-19 does not see race, religion, color, caste, creed, language or borders before striking. Our response and conduct thereafter should attach primacy to unity and brotherhood. We are in this together,” Modi said.
Reading between the lines of Modi’s tweet, the most glaring omission was his total silence to shut the hate shops in India and reign in the Hindu zealots in the country. The tweet was more to placate the paranoid Gulf audience that had no impact on the Hindu radicals in India.
It is for the first time the Gulf countries have woken up to the scourge of extremist Hindutva ideology in India. So fat they had never paid any attention to faith based relationship. In fact in their ties with India, faith hardly played any role. Among the eight million Indian who work in Gulf region there negligible percent of Muslims and the lion share of gulf remittances that come to India goes to Hindus homes.
It is not as if the Gulf region does not know of the periodic communal conflagration that occurs in India but so far they have viewed them as an aberration in a large and diverse nation as India. Even in the current tweet ping pong game, the responses from the Gulf side are of anger, dismay at the developments in India and not of any bad blood.
Nonetheless, the recent exchanges of tweets have exposed the Hindutva ideology in its full nakedness to the Gulf public. It has planted the seeds of suspicion in their minds and future ‘cooperation’ and ‘labour’ relations with India will no more be shaped by the traditional parameters that guided India’s century old ties with the Arabs.
Now that the Gulf region has become familiar with the agenda of Hindutva adherents, it is difficult to assume that the ties with the region will be the same. The challenge before India’s ruling elite is to make sincere efforts to re-cement the centuries-old ties with the Gulf region.
And the first thing to do in this direction is to stop aiding and abating the Hindutva cadres who are asked to spew venom against the Muslims and ask for closure of all the hate factories built in India. If India’s ruling elite continues to pursue its agenda as its doing mow it would certainly impact the India-Gulf relations.
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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
