Houston | SabrangIndia

Howdy Modi event organized amidst top survey suggesting Trump ‘losing’ popularity

Sat, 28 Sep 2019 06:27:31 +0000

A recent opinion poll by a top US media house has suggested as to why President Donald Trump badly needed Indian-American settlers’ support at the Howdy Modi event, and the reason why he ensured Modi to declare “abki baar Modi sarkar”. A Fox News survey, carried out days before Modi’s much-publicized Houston event, said that 52% of those polled are “frustrated” with the Trump administration government, while only 37% are “energized.”

The survey comes within a month of the “partnership” between Trump and Fox News, of the type one sees between Modi and Republic TV in India, falling apart, with TV channel anchor Neil Cavuto declaring: “First of all, Mr President, we don’t work for you. I don’t work for you. My job is to cover you, not fawn over you or rip you. Just report on you – call balls and strikes on you.”

Cavuto’s response was to Trump, who had tweeted: “Just watched Fox News heavily promoting the Democrats… The New Fox News is letting millions of GREAT people down! We have to start looking for a new News Outlet. Fox isn’t working for us anymore!”

Reporting on the survey, which took place on September 17-19, and released just ahead of the Modi event, a Fox News report said, “Many voters are frustrated with how the federal government is working and a growing number are nervous about the economy”. It added, “While 37 percent feel confident about the economy, 48 percent feel nervous. That’s up from a low of 43 percent nervous in March 2019.”

“The poll also finds the president’s economic policies receive mixed reviews: 43 percent think Trump’s policies are hurting the economy, while 39 percent say helping”, the report says, adding, “Views are more negative on tariffs, as voters think they hurt rather than help the economy by a 45-31 percent margin.”

The report continues, “Despite those concerns, the economy barely makes the top five when voters are asked, without prompting from a list, the most important issue facing the country. Immigration is the most frequently mentioned at 13 percent. No other issue hits double-digits. Next is gun violence (9 percent), health care (8 percent), opposing Trump (8 percent), and the economy (7 percent).”

According to the report, Trump’s “job ratings on every other issue tested are underwater: national security (45 approve-48 disapprove), immigration (42-54), international trade (38-53), foreign policy (36-54), guns (35-56), health care (34-56), and Afghanistan (31-49).”

Pointing out that currently, 45 percent approve of the overall job the president’s doing, while 54 percent disapprove”, the report says, “In addition, 65 percent are dissatisfied (36 percent) or angry (29 percent) with the government”, which is “more than twice the 31 percent who feel satisfied (24 percent) or enthusiastic (7 percent).”

The report further says, “About two-thirds (64 percent) think many people — if not nearly all people — in government are corrupt, and almost half (46 percent) say the Trump administration is more corrupt than previous ones.” On the other hand, “25 percent say this White House is less corrupt than others and 24 percent think it’s about the same.”

Taking an overview, the says, “37 percent say the Trump administration makes them feel more energized about politics, but for a 52 percent majority it makes them feel more exhausted.”

Insisting that voters see “several threats to the stability of the United States”, the report says, “Nearly 6-in-10 see corporate influence over government (59 percent), racism (58 percent), and foreign interference in US elections (56 percent) as major threats to the country.”

It adds, “Half perceive climate change (50 percent) as a major threat, and nearly half say the same about political polarization (48 percent), illegal immigration (47 percent), illegal voting (47 percent), and income inequality (45 percent). Fewer feel that way about socialism (39 percent major threat) and political correctness (36 percent).”

Trump’s downward rating comes amidst another top Modi ally internationally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suffering a major defeat what a commentator calls, “despite the Centre-left’s abysmal campaign flop”. Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party got 32 seats while Benny Gantz’s Blue and White received 33 seats in election results. According to the present scenario Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc control 55 of parliament’s 120 seats. On the other hand, Gantz’s Blue and White-led left-bloc will have 56-57 seats.

Courtesy: Counter View

The post Howdy Modi event organized amidst top survey suggesting Trump ‘losing’ popularity appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Houston should say Adios Modi instead of Howdy Modi: Protesters

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 14:09:01 +0000

Concerns raised over Kashmir crisis, RSS’s Hindu ‘Nationalism’

Image Courtesy: National Herald

Houston City Council, a meeting of the elected representatives and citizens of Houston, saw minorities protesting against Indian Prime Minister Modi with signs such as “Go Back Modi”, “Save Kashmir” and “Stand with Kashmir”.

Peter Friedrich, a South Asian Affairs analyst called out the Americans who were “complicit in Modi’s crimes against humanity.”

Friedrich also spoke about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organistaion of the party in power, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the human rights violations on minorities since the time Modi government came to power.

He provided all 16 council members with a folder comprising of three well researched articles about the RSS, White Supremacists and Nazis, in order to support his claims.

An article about Tulsi Gabbard played an important role in showing how she was perceived as an appreciator of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his activities.

The same event saw a Kashmiri woman being ousted from the council for raising her voice against the communications blockade in Kashmir by asking that Modi be questioned about the whereabouts of her father with whom she hadn’t spoken for over 40 days because of the blackout. Some Kashmiris brought the case of the minor Kathua girl who was raped, to the notice of the council.

Friedrich also added that El Paso shootings were carried out by a boy whose actions were inspired from the New Zealand mosque shootings, which were in turn inspired by the 2011 shootings of Norway.

In Norway, terrorist Anders Breivik had left a letter in which he said he drew inspiration from other nationalist wings in countries, such as RSS in India, saying that he admired “Hindu nationalism” and praised the RSS for its majoritarian supremacist ideologies.

While speaking about the RSS Pieter went on to say, “Modi’s hands are stained with blood. Those who shake his hand in welcome cannot wash their hands of complicity in his crimes.” He added that instead of saying ‘Howdy Modi’, people should say ‘Adios Modi’.

On the other hand, just a few days earlier, the Houston based web portal Houston Chronicle wrote about the PM’s visit, “While a sold-out crowd of about 50,000 Indian-Americans is expected to greet India Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visits Houston on Sept. 22, several thousand protesters representing India’s religious minorities plan to decry his alleged violence and discrimination against non-Hindus.”

The Houston daily reported that for the first time minority Sikhs from Punjab and Muslims from Kashmir who now call Houston home, united and protesters held a “dress-rehearsal” rally on Saturday, driving tractor-trailer trucks decorated with flags and protest signs from the Sikh National Center in North-Western Houston to the NRG Center, where the “Howdy, Modi” event is scheduled to be held in a week.

Modi is visiting Houston before traveling to New York to speak at the United Nations General Assembly. He plans to meet with everyone from Houston energy leaders to President Donald Trump, who is reportedly considering coming to Houston for the event.

Modi’s visit to the Bayou City comes even as more than seven million people in the Kashmir valley are close to fifty days of a total communication and information blockade among reports of torture and violence. Kashmir has essentially been on lockdown with mandatory curfews and military crackdowns on protests since early August when Modi controversially decided to rescind the region’s special political status for greater autonomy.

Chairman of the Sikh National Center in Houston, Hardam Singh Azad said, “Our really simple theme is it’s a protest rally for freedom. Please leave our rights alone.”It’s not just the Sikhs and Muslims whom are discriminated against in India, he said, it’s the Buddhists, Christians and Jains as well.

Ghazala Habib, chairwoman of the Friends of Kashmir International, came from Dallas for the truck rally and to prepare for next weekend’s protest. She said at least 25 buses from Dallas and about five from Austin will carry down additional protesters next week.

“He’s trying to commit a complete genocide in Kashmir,” Habib said. “He’s saying in India only Hindu people can live.”

India, the second-most populous country in the world, is Houston’s fourth-biggest trading partner after Mexico, China and Brazil. While Modi is in the United States, he plans to finalize trade agreements and to strengthen India’s ties with American oil and gas companies as India increasingly imports more U.S. energy, including liquefied natural gas and other products.

1. US Congressman Ro Khanna rejects Hindutva, speaks for Equal Rights of all Indians

The post Houston should say Adios Modi instead of Howdy Modi: Protesters appeared first on SabrangIndia.