E.R. RAMACHANDRAN writes: As we speak, the “sovereign socialist secular democratic republic” of India is moving heaven, earth and everything else in between to conclude a civilian nuclear deal with the United States of America.
Yet, how is it that the same “sovereign socialist secular democratic republic” of India is taking the disgraceful denial of a visa to one of its citizens by the same United States of America lying down?
The citizen I am referring to is Narendra Damodardas Modi.
The Gujarat chief minister, re-elected with a thundering majority by the people of Gujarat last December, has had to address the World Gujarati Conference in New Jersey by video because the US State department wouldn’t give him a visa, the second time this has happened following Gujarat 2002.
On what grounds can a visa be rejected for a person who applies for it through the proper channels on a passport issued under the seal of the President of India?
Judging from its silence, it appears the Congress-led UPA government of Manmohan Singh is “happy” that Modi has been barred entry into the United States. Else, it should have sent a stiff memo in private and raised hell in public for this insult to the democratically elected chief minister of a State.
So far, only Modi’s party, the BJP, has chosen to respond.
“Dictators can go there [the U.S.]… fascists, murderers can go there… but the democratically elected Chief Minister of a federal State of India cannot go there,” the party’s spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad has said. “Should America bow down to this kind of vilification campaign by a group of people whose agenda is anti-BJP throughout?”
Those are good questions, but why isn’t the government asking them? Why isn’t the Congress, which is not entirely populated by angels, not asking them? Why aren’t the non-BJP opposition parties, which too are not entirely populated by angels, not asking them? Why aren’t the media, which also is not entirely populated by angels, not asking them?
Do only Gujaratis have asmita?
Don’t we, as Indians, not have asmita?
Would the Chinese government and media react so sanguinely if one of its not-so-democratically elected leaders was denied a visa? Would the Japanese? If we are an emerging regional superpower, if we are supposedly getting close to the United States and standing shoulder to shoulder, how on earth does the US get away with such a stinging slap?
On the other hand, should this surprise us?
George Fernandes, as defence minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee team, was strip-searched and frisked down to his knickers, a fact happily reported by deputy secretary Strobe Talbott in his book, Engaging India.
If we could happily accept that national insult, obviously the “Rejected” seal on Narendra Modi’s passport is proof, full, firm and final, that while we as a nation bend backwards to please western countries, we crawl shamelessly, effortlessly when need be.
Especially if a nuclear deal is at the end of the road.
Photograph: Karnataka Photo News
Also read: The Economist calls Narendra Modi a ‘disgrace’
CHURUMURI POLL: Should US restore Modi visa?
Watch the video: ‘Like it or leave it, Modi will be PM’
We Indians have votebanks and political correctness
Well said ERR.
That US, of all the countries, should be talking about “Human Rights” is quite funny, after almost decimating the native population (haughtily called “Indians”) and practising slavery of the Africans in the most despicable terms.
Kannadadalli “asmitha” andare kobbu. Samskurthada “asmi” andaru ade. “Hemme” is a much better subsitute for it doesn’t suggest “ahankaara.” It is time that we stop go begging to Samskrutha for words we need. Like our cousins the Tamils, we need to resort to the sources in our own lexicon. No point in venerating Kittel without putting to use his enormous contribution to our sense of ourselves as Kannadigas.
Kannadigas will be the first southerners to be sacrificed to the capitalist demon of nationalism. We have taken the first step in electing the BJP which will expand a million fold the treachery initiated by the Congress and followed by the JDS. I wish we had an alternative to the paleolithic KRV.
Let us try these:
Kannada MeLa: Kannada Saahithya Parishad
Kannada Bhavana: Kannada Mane
Karnataka Sarkaara: Karunaada Alvike
TS–
Before you crack on me, no, I am not for substituting “Doddiskoolu” for high school.
US has indulged in blatant war in IRAQ,VIETNAM,CUBA and AFGHANISTAN against the will of its people.
IRAN,North Korea and Venuezuela are its prime target. It is unfortunate that an Democratically elected representative is not allowed by the US Govt.
Human rights talk by US is a hogwash. The tables can be turned if the US Govt faces a similar predicament from Indian side.
Congress is selling India to USA at a very cheep rate for the benefit of the Nehru foreign family!! Congress does not seem to have any respect and regards for the people of India, let alone their own party men.
No point in blaming US. It’s our problem – Our leadership need to show a face of confidence and strength.
Entire world knows the track record of USA when it comes to human rights. George Bush can invite Saudi royal family to his ranch in Texas for a private dinner. But, democraticaly elected Modi is an un-touchable!! Hilarious.
I feel this is the only one thing US Secretory of state Condoleezza Rice has done with a good intention. Eventhough they couldn’t bring Modi in front of an international court like the Serbian leader Milosevich for genocide, denial of visa is considered as an international insult.
The letter from a group of congress men headed by Joe Pitts to Secretary of State to Deny/Revok Narendra modi’s US visa.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/mar/18pitts.htm
This is just politics,When 9/11 happened many mulsims were shot dead by the same amrecians and even today they are illtreated is this not the violation of human rights? this shows the biased and double standards of us.Where were these human rights when thousands of karasevakas were burnt alive?First ban all these human rights commission and biased tv channels
Indians, particularly polticians, somehow believe that their greatest enemies are their political opponents. If anyone insults them, they remain joyfully silent, even if India is reduced in the process. Nothing has changed since the time the British came here and easily conquered this country, exploiting variants of this very weakness.
George Fernandez was not strip searched. It is common in US to take off shoes and coat before passing through security. Each and Every passenger is asked to do that including US senators!! George obviously has big ego and did not want to do that.. That resulted in he getting frisked and pat down search. That is what he calls strip searching
I don’t understand why you guys are crying for this Cannibal leader ??
““Rejected” seal on Narendra Modi’s passport is proof, full, firm and final, that while we as a nation bend backwards to please western countries, we crawl shamelessly, effortlessly when need be.”
OH! But with an ‘Italian’ at the top what else u expected!
“Especially if a nuclear deal is at the end of the road.”
Wait for a week, it will be ‘Omelet’ on Singh the King’s face as too many eggs could do so shamelessly little. Nevertheless, expect the ‘Queen Mother’ and ‘Prince with a license to Rule’ come unscratched. That is what paid up (an awarded with Padamshris) Media for. (Sorry screwing up Steve’s “that’s what friends are for”. )
PI
Prabha,
Dont worry. You are forgiven. A lot of so called secularists, human rights activists, NGOs etc.. also have the same disease.
You and the rest of the crowd will also not understand a lot of things…
like how the islamic terrorism is making lives miserable for the rest of the people across the globe…
like how the cunning, dollar funded evangelists are trying to convert the gullible souls by misrepresenting a lot of things…
like how the secularists are raising the bogey of hindu demon being the root cause of all evils afflicting our country now…
like how certain NGOs and the people heading such NGOs have made Modi bashing and hindu bashing a multi million dollar industry….
Another post in Churmuri talks about who can be called an idiot. SC has laid down three guidelines… thankfully it has not made this “not undestanding disease of the NGOs etc.. ” a guideline for deciding whether one is an idiot or not…
Till then you can keep saying that you dont understand.
Fortunately Humans are very foolish creatures in this world.
Narendra modi remained uninvited by the US. Oh what a shame!! lets all cry. What stupidity!!
Land is land. However now we have started comparing between which piece of land on this world. India (piece of land) and US (is another piece of land). the forces of nature and fate is equal. whether invited or not famine, rainfall, diseases, death, life etc pay equal visits to all pieces of land on earth.
India has all natural forces and life giving resources and people where Modi can live happily.. Governments, societies, religions, beliefs are all so virtual but yet so much over done in this planet.
The best possible life is of a deaf and illiterate person in this world. Shameless creatures!!!!!
>>Chintaka,
I don’t want to be forgiven. I still have a control on my thoughts
I am very much aware of the threat of Islamic terrorism, evangelists extremism (not the one ‘happens’ in Orissa, which you are referring to, but the real one. -The American foreign policy) and am also very much depressed by the Right wing Hindu Terrorism. That’s the difference btw me and you.
you arguments are simple mate.
some one says ‘A’ is wrong, you counter argues ‘B’ is also wrong so it justifies ‘A’ being wrong.. ha ha. impressed.
Prabha…
One can try to tell to something to a person who does not know.. but to a person who knows and still pretends to be ignorant?
And how do you know that the orissa conversions are not in the same league as the American foreign policy? While one is cunning and subtle, the other is more on the face kind of thing. Ultimately the same.
Cut a diamond with a diamond.. Mullanna mullinindaley tegibeku.. some of the proverbs which come to my mind when we talk about islamic terrorism and cunning conversion…
Got it????
Americans will give visa to Osama or even Ahmedijnaid if only their dollars strength will increase.Modi will get it when Indian Industry wants it.
This conversion talk is all bullshit. In fact, the percentage of christian population in India is decreasing. Though I am a hindu, I have great respect towards Christians and Parsis whose contribution towards eduction and industry is tremendous .
Ashwini – Please let’s not compare fascist violence in the US and India in the same breath.
2,749 Americans were killed in the World Trade Centre… Less than 10 Asians (Muslims/Hindus/ Sikhs) lost their life in retaliatiory violence.
58 Hindus were killed in Godhra. In retaliations 2000 others were killed in a state sponsored program. This figure does not include the women raped, those whose houses were burnt or looted and the others killed in fake counters.
And there are still many on this forum who would tell us he is right… So if India could not tell Narendra Modi that he was wrong, at least the US is doing a good job of it :)
Also, why are these people begging for a US visa when Naredra Modi is not wanted there???! And if they feel so strongly about it, let them pack their bags, leave Christian beef eating America (in their opinion) and return to their Gujju homeland… But, that would require true Gujarati asmita :)
Coalition against Genocide needs to get education on visa process. The denial of visa under section 212(a)(2)(G) is final and Modi can not get visa again in his life time unless he admits guilt and applies for waiver. So asking the Department of State every now and then an publishing that as a fresh denial is waste of time and money.
Further the INA does not judge the individual but immigration officers generally err on the safer side and allowed to act on reasonable beliefs and those who have applied for a US visa know that visa denial can happen even with every supporting document in perfect shape. Getting a US visa is a chance process, much like a lottery and one need not read too much into this.
I have put my thoughts on my blog
Once again Modi started haunting churumuri…
Only dictators and such like? What about Rajiv gandhi? or don’t sikhs count?
Prabha,
it is indeed sad that you in your comments seem to be undermining indian democracy while supporting the denial of visa to Mr. Modi. a democratically elected leader from the worlds largest democracy should and should be given a visa.it is indeed sad , prabha, that you do not understand the worth of the indian democracy. Jai Hind.
There should be a National Asmita. But is it there? Is anyone ready to talk about it, RSS excepted. Modi talks of Gujarati Asmita because he is CM of that state. Make him PM he SHALL talk of National Asmita. The only one who has spine enoughu to do so.
***
Is a US visa the Grail to aspire to? After all Nelson Mandela too has been denied US visa till last year.
If Modi does become PM, India might be closed to US presidents. How long can USA continue to bar him?
The hypocrisy of US is known.and there is no point in labouring about it. Let us see with all the bonhomie generated during Modi’s visit to US and so called strategic agreement with with US the proof about US’s real intentions would be known when Pakistan mounts another terror attack against India