This blog is a continuation of my story “English proficiency for empowerment: Modi’s SCOPE vision contrasts Amit Shah’s remark”. I personally found nothing unusual in the Union Home Minister’s “feel ashamed” remark directed at those who speak in English, as I have witnessed his dislike for the language on several occasions during my stint as the Times of India representative in Gandhinagar from 1997 to 2012.

In fact, Amit Shah never tried to hide his disdain for English. He would candidly tell me that he didn’t read the Times of India because it was an English daily. Once, ahead of a mass rally during an assembly election campaign in a tribal-dominated region of Gujarat that Modi was about to address, I spotted him. On seeing me, he objected to a particular news item I had written. I asked, “How do you know? You don’t read the Times of India.” He responded, “Yes, but others tell me what appears in your paper.”

On another occasion, as narrated to me later, Shah, accompanied by senior BJP leader Purshottam Rupala, reached my office to lodge a complaint about a report I had written. Bharat Desai, then my editor, heard them out patiently. Suddenly, Shah snapped, “Who reads your English paper?” To this, Desai calmly replied, “If nobody reads our paper, why have you come here? You can have tea and leave.”

Shah’s attitude wasn’t limited to just a contempt for English. Once, while discussing the poor state of education in Gujarat in his home minister’s chamber—an issue many would privately raise—I asked him what he thought should be done to improve the state’s educational standards, which I believed were among the poorest in India. His informal reply was startling: “Nothing needs to be done. It’s doing fine. No need to change things.”

Ironically, no one seemed to understand the importance of English for improving educational standards in Gujarat better than his boss, Narendra Modi. Unlike many earlier chief ministers, Modi went out of his way to promote English education in schools. His flagship initiative, SCOPE—Society for Creation of Opportunities through Proficiency in English—was launched with this very objective and continues to this day.

I don’t know the exact reason, but I believe he was convinced that English was a crucial business requirement for attracting investment to Gujarat. One of the major hurdles for those looking to set up enterprises in the state has been the poor educational standards of Gujarati job seekers, which he seemed to associate with their weak English communication skills. I have no reason to believe that he has changed his view after becoming the Prime Minister.

From what I gathered during my days at Sachivalaya, after Modi became chief minister, he consistently urged government officials to draft policies to make English a compulsory subject at the primary and secondary levels. In doing so, he even went against his trusted protégé Anandiben Patel—then education minister and now UP governor—who once told me, “We don’t need English, we need Sanskrit.” Modi’s push for English education became a sore point for many in the RSS.

Once, a pro-RSS group running a school in Gandhinagar, Vidya Bharati, invited journalists for a press-cum-lunch meet. Cloaking a swadeshi garb, their aim was to accuse Modi of “neglecting” Sanskrit in favour of English. They even announced an agitation against this perceived slight to Sanskrit—an agitation that never materialized. I reported the event for the Times of India.

Despite his ideological leanings, credit for reviving English in Gujarat must go to Modi—even though his command of the language was initially weak. During his first business summit, Resurgent Gujarat, held in early February 2002 in the presence of the British ambassador, Modi pronounced “delegates” as “dulgats,” causing amused chuckles in the audience. Yet, he took a surprisingly pragmatic approach to the language that Shah dismissed as “foreign.”

Within three years in office, Modi had improved his English considerably. Around 2003 or 2004, he inaugurated an IT event at InfoCity in Gandhinagar, supported by a global firm. He spoke in English, ex tempore, using short but grammatically correct sentences. During subsequent Vibrant Gujarat summits, Modi continued to speak off-the-cuff in English, without a teleprompter, fully aware that foreign dignitaries and entrepreneurs were key participants.

Even while denouncing “English culture,” Modi, by 2003, had begun instructing officials to draft education policies to overcome English language deficiencies. In fact, his was the first major reversal of a flawed language policy that had persisted since the 1960s. That policy, the result of a debate between two ministers both surnamed Thakore—one dubbed “Thakorebhai Panchava” for wanting English from Class 5, the other “Thakorebhai Athva” for preferring it from Class 8—had led to a compromise: schools could choose. The result? Children began English in Class 8, and dropped it by Class 10, producing a generation with little or no English proficiency.

Modi seemed to recognize this gap as a barrier to Gujarat’s global aspirations. He pushed for English in schools. A key obstacle, then and now, was the chronic shortage of English teachers—but the blame for that lay with his predecessors.

Looking back at my stories for Times of India, I found that in 2006, Modi urged the education department to launch a movement promoting spoken English among Gujarati youth. At the department’s Chintan Shibir, he stressed the importance of this skill: “Poor English among the Gujarati youth is telling adversely on their standing in the world. This stigma should be removed at the earliest. There is a need to develop an atmosphere in which the Gujarati youth, well-equipped with English, are able to show their best skills to the world.”

This was not Modi’s first push for English. A year earlier, in 2005, he proposed starting English education from Class 1. Although the idea gained traction in the bureaucracy, he had to backtrack due to resistance from the Sangh Parivar. The RSS’s education wing, Shiksha Bharati, labeled the move “anti-swadeshi.”

Even in the mid-1990s, when Gujarat decided to introduce English from Class 5, it had declared the subject non-examinable—so most students didn’t study it. Modi changed that in 2004, making English exams mandatory in Class 5 across the state.

“There is indeed a major change now. Even rural areas show a strong interest in English. With free textbooks, rural children are now scoring better in English than in other subjects,” Nalin Pandit, former director of Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training (GCERT), once told me.

Thanks to Modi’s insistence, the Indian Institute of Teachers’ Education (IITE) was established in 2010 as a university with English as the medium of instruction. I had quoted him in a report saying, “World-class teachers to be produced at IITE must be taught in a language used internationally.” A brainchild of Modi, IITE today offers BA-BEd and BEd-MEd programs in English at its Centre of Education, while affiliated colleges offer B.Ed programs in both English and Gujarati.

IITE emphasizes the development of communication skills in both the mother tongue and English, showing a commitment to multilingualism in teacher training—a vision that stands in direct contrast to the anti-English rhetoric of Amit Shah.

Courtesy: CounterView

The post Business requirement? Modi’s quiet push for English in Gujarat despite Sangh’s swadeshi garb appeared first on SabrangIndia.

I saw a video from a public speech delivered by you in your home state of Gujarat on Tuesday, May 27. To say the least, I, as a person from Northeast India, am still numb at your references to “small eyes” and with “eyes that don’t even open”.

Before I come to why, let me take this opportunity to convey to you that far from Gujarat, in my family home in Assam, ever since my school days, I have seen a sizeable photo of a certain Gujarati hanging on a wall of the drawing room. Every godhuli (dusk), an incense stick is stuck on to the photo frame by my father, just after he finishes the same ritual on all the frames containing various gods and goddesses hung across the house, while reciting his evening mantras. I am proud to say here, that the Gujarati prayed in my family is none other than the Mahatma – Mahatma Gandhi.

My father, now 93, still continues the daily ritual. He also never forgets to tell any first-time visitor with a tinge of pride that the Mahatma, during his maiden trip to Assam in 1921, had also paid a short visit to his now over-a-century-old family house. My grandfather was one of the first in that Upper Assam town to have signed up for a Congress membership at the call of the Mahatma then to fight the foreign powers, and yes, to refuse foreign goods too.

Prime Minister, I am sure you are aware of the great Naga freedom fighter Rani Gaidinliu. When there was no advocate to fight the case mounted against her by the British, my grandfather had traveled a challenging path all the way to the Rangoon high court with a set of fellow Nagas to fight for her release from jail. In a country under foreign powers then, it was no surprise that the advocate was also jailed along with Gaidinliu, a young accused then who had the gumption to stand up to the colonial powers for converting fellow Nagas to Christianity from their religion, Heraka. That fight, by the way, had made our first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru bestow on Gaidinliu the prefix to her name, Rani (queen), as we know her today, and call her a freedom fighter.

These references, particularly to the Father of the Nation, are only to underline that the connections that we form with powerful leaders and change-makers who may belong to another region or community, just keeps alive the unity and solidarity of the people of this huge country that we are all part of, and so proud of. Tiny, daily rituals carried out in houses like mine also acknowledge that we may know little about a region that the leader or change-maker comes from or their people, but, as the constitution says, we are the same people – no matter how large or small the size of our eyes are (irrespective of race and creed, remember?).

Prime Minister, like several from the Northeast, I too have lived on those lines. I happened to choose a partner from outside the region. I never looked at the size of his eyes, and I am sure, he didn’t either. Let me tell you, what we saw in each other’s eyes was the same – love and respect.

*

In your May 27 speech, even if you had made an indirect reference to the Chinese when you had referred to Ganesha with “small eyes” and “eyes that don’t even open”, the remark cannot be overlooked. It cannot be not seen to apply to “small-eyed” Indians like me, those who come from the region I call home.

Prime Minister, even in the national capital, many from the Northeast (that includes me too) face racism and discrimination on the streets almost every day. Often in central Delhi, I am stopped by random strangers while walking, to ask in English which country I belong to – whether I am looking for a currency exchange booth, a cheaper hotel room, or a taxi for sightseeing.

For those who may ask, ‘What clothes were you wearing then’ – well, no ‘Indian’ dress has been able to help me ward off such casual street racism in Delhi yet. I am sure this must be the case in various other cities.

Also, I speak for many northeastern women living in mainland cities when I say that I almost never step out of my house without using kajal on my eyes, just because we don’t want to be on the streets with “small eyes”; eyes that are seen by others as “barely open”.

Sir, I am not sure if you are aware, it is also well documented in the report of the Bezbaruah Committee, set up by the Union government after the tragic death of an Arunachali youth, Nido Tania, in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar, that the racist terms used on people from the Northeast in big cities includes words like ‘chinky’ and ‘Chinese’.

“Small eyes” too is a term used for us. At times, no words are needed but finger tips are used to press the corners of the attacker’s eyes to send us the message that we have “small eyes” and “eyes that barely open” – the same gesture you used in your speech. And exactly like that China-made Ganesha idol you had referred to in your speech.

*

Prime Minister, it is also well documented that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many from my region were thrown out of stores and rented accommodations, some even attacked physically and spat at, just because they looked ‘Chinese’ and the epidemic had stemmed from China.

In such a dark reality, if you, as the prime minister, lampoon “small eyes” publicly, in our eyes, you are seen backing those nameless people in many mainland cities who call us “Chinky” and “Chinese”.

Anyway, it doesn’t behove the stature of an Indian prime minister to deploy such racist language about any community or set of people, whether Indian or not. What I understood also from your speech is that India’s contest is economic and versus China, and rightly so. In such a fight, there should be no space for the size of the eyes. Like it didn’t matter in diplomacy, when you set your big eyes on the “small-eyed” Chinese premier Xi Jinping while sitting on a swing and chuckling together by the Sabarmati some years ago.

Prime Minister, let me remind you here, that even in your own cabinet, there are ministers with ‘small eyes’. I am referring to Sarbananda Sonowal and Kiren Rijiju. In 2018, when your government, reportedly due to Chinese insistence, kept Rijiju out of an official function in New Delhi, many in my region were upset and sad that New Delhi didn’t stand up to the Chinese pressure. Arunachal Pradesh, Rijiju’s home state, is an Indian state, and shall remain so.

Also, doesn’t at least one of your important cabinet ministers, who is in the CCS, have a partner whose eyes are “small” due to her race? Personal preferences aside, racist outbursts by the country’s top leader should have no space in a public speech in today’s day and time; they are bad for both domestic and international optics. Remember how US president Donald Trump was chided by the world for having questioned the attire of Ukrainian president Zelenskyy.

*

Prime Minister, here is something about Lord Ganesha having “small eyes”.

If you take into account the fact that Ganesha is also a Buddhist deity, revered across South Asia where people have “small eyes”. Even in several Indian monasteries, say, Alchi, said to be the oldest monastery in Ladakh, Ganesha exists in miniature paintings on its walls – and yes, with small eyes! The Vinayaka or the Ganapati cult within various sects of Buddhism exists beyond India, across the South and South-East Asia’s  geography. Finding a Ganesha sculpture in a museum, therefore, in these countries where Buddhism has been a strong religious influence, is not a rarity. By the way, Ganesha is the only Hindu god regarded as Bodhisatva. 

Even in China, there have been Ganapati rituals. French Buddhism expert Robert Duquenne in his note, ‘Ganapathi Rituals in Chinese’, had pointed out that “Not less than twelve texts in the Chinese Buddhist Canon are dedicated to Vinayaka or Ganapati.” The author had noted, “The alternative and more usual name Ganesa never occurs here.”

Here, let me also inform you that some of our goddesses may in all likelihood have “small eyes”. Assam’s revered goddess Kesaikhati is a tribal goddess. We don’t often draw Ma Kamakhya, but as per new research, she too might have a tribal (Khasi) origin.

In Assam, we also celebrate the annual arrival of the monsoons, no less than that of a goddess. We call her Bordoisila. Every monsoon, we keep out a small mirror, a bottle of hair oil and a comb, for her to look at; the belief is, the rains are strong because she is rushing home to see her mother. Since the name Bordoisila has been drawn from the Bodo community, of Tibeto Burman origin, that goddess also, racially speaking, should have “small eyes”.

*

Prime Minister, I fully agree with you that a country which is aspiring to become a developed nation by 2047, must start its self-sufficiency journey on a war footing. You had implied China in your speech and I agree that we must stay away from using not just cheaper Chinese goods like Diwali lights and Holi colours and Lakshmi and Ganesha idols, but also all foreign goods that have a decent equivalent which is Made in India.

This country had seen a time when people had booked their HMT watches and waited for months for them to be delivered; same with India-made cars and scooters. But should that journey not start with you? Like it did with Gandhi when he gave a call to quit using foreign goods?

Therefore, if you still wear that Movado watch, that pair of Maybach sunglasses, that Mont Blanc pen, etc., which several media reports speak of regularly, please replace them with Made in India equivalents. Show the path.

*

And that western hat you wore while visiting a wildlife park?

I have a suggestion for its replacement too. In the Northeast, each community has its own hat; you can truly promote indigenous traditions and Made in India products if you choose to replace that cowboy-like hat with one from my region. The choices are too many, I promise.

Before I end, I must also say why I took the liberty to write an open letter to you. This is in keeping with my understanding of what you often say, India is not just the world’s largest democracy but the mother of all democracies. In such a democracy, a common citizen must then have the right to question her elected Prime Minister. So have I here, just as a common citizen who comes from the Northeast. I have questioned you about a sensitivity that you clearly overlooked in your May 27 public speech, and as a “small eyed” Indian, I am offended.

I hope you ponder over it and course correct, because India’s prime minister must not be seen just talking about the need for fellow Indians to treat people from the Northeast without discrimination; but must be seen doing so too, both in his words and deeds so that he becomes an example for others to emulate.

With best regards,

Yours sincerely,
Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty,
A humble citizen of India who is never allowed to forget that she has “small eyes”, but who manages to keep them open and look clearly ahead.

(Post script: Sir, looking at the times that we are in, I hope I don’t get arrested for writing an open letter to you. Getting trolled on social media would anyway follow, and who knows, fellow north-easterners belonging to your party may also be sent after me for taking umbrage at your comment, and I may eventually end up being called a ‘China sympathiser’.) 

Courtesy: The Wire

The post An Open Letter: ‘I Have Small Eyes, Mr Prime Minister’ appeared first on SabrangIndia.

For Cow vigilantes Modi had given a statement that murder in the name of cow is not acceptable, and just a few hours later a Muslim man was done to death on this issue. Apart from the phenomenon which is continuing. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the significance of love, harmony, and brotherhood is central to the teachings of Lord Christ. He also urged people to strengthen these values.” Just a couple of days later the vigilante groups and even Bajrang Dal groups attacked a person in Ahmedabad who had dressed as Santa Clause and was distributing gifts. A video is going viral where two men dressed as Santa Claus being beaten up by hooligans at the Kankaria Carnival in Ahmedabad. This probably is the first year where people dressed as Santa Clause are being hauled up.

Already we had seen that Carol Singers were beaten up and since BJP came to power Carol singing has been stopped in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Bajrang Dal has also issued warnings to Hindus for their attending Christmas parties. How come these acts at the time of Christmas are seeing a new low currently?

Recently we also saw the claims on mosques that there was such a temple so it must be dug up a la Babri Masjid style. Seeing the spate of such made up claims, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat himself said that we should not keep looking for Shivling under every mosque. It is amazing that the claim is made, and dispute created in Kashi where a fountain looking structure is claimed to be a Shivling and demand for converting the mosque into a temple boosted. After the Sambhal claims, the violence followed.

Probably shaken by this and the feeling that the Supreme Leader of the supra political outfit felt it will bring loss of face for ‘RSS Combine’ and so he gave a sane looking call, “The Ram Temple was about faith, and Hindus wanted it built. But raising disputes about new sites out of hate is unacceptable,” he said. “Some people think they can become leaders of Hindus by creating new controversies. How is this allowed?”

And lo and behold most of the fringe organizations of Hindutva politics are coming forward to oppose it. One knows that RSS is a strict disciplinarian organization, and its members do not violate the commands of its leader. So who are these Senas, Dharma Sansads springing up by a dozen and going against the appeal of Bhagwat?

To cap it all, RSS’s unofficial mouth piece Organizer itself came forward to articulate the fringe elements’ demands and wrote that “Temple restorations are a quest for our identity! (TOI Dec 27, 2024). It also claims that temple restorations are for our national identity and to seek civilizational justice.

How come the hate is so pervasive that it is crossing the limits set by its own leaders? Is it that the leaders like Prime Minister Modi want the actions leading to hate to continue, as it strengthens their politics? If not then why are the perpetrators of violence are enjoying impunity? Why does the whole system from spreaders of hate speech, to those responsible for maintaining law and order and even to some extent even the judiciary have a soft corner for these criminal elements.

Having enjoyed the impunity for destroying Babri Mosques and lynching in the name of cow/beef or on killings and torture on the charge of ‘love-jihad’, now they know they can get away with their illegal acts. They feel that law may be bent to ensure that they are exonerated.

The phenomenon of Organiser opposing Bhagwat arouses curiosity. Is there a split within RSS on the issue? Bhagawat trying to talk peace and harmony and the managers of Organiser feeling that the path of Hate and violence should be pursued to its fullest depth.

There is another aspect which needs to be understood. When such phenomenon’s are unleashed for political benefits, initially the leaders congratulate themselves for their success in the electoral arena. From top to bottom diverse elements spring up and as Mr. Bhagawat said some of them ape for higher political position and influence. They are the one’s continuing their earlier political roots of which were sown by their leaders. One recalls that previous top RSS leader K. Sudarshan, who later became RSS Chief, was on the stage when Babri mosque was being demolished. This has been a classical case of crime and no punishment.

All the guilty of this dastardly crime of Babri demolition were finally given ‘not guilty’ chit and the judge who did this for the communal politics, got a plum job after his retirement.

As they say, ‘as you sow, so you reap’, the demolition of Babri process as a whole tells us that it was not just a spreading of fake narratives of temple destructions, and many myths against Muslims. The result is there for us to see, where even the Supreme authority of RSS is not being listened to. The anti-Christian campaign is just a continuation of the decade’s old propaganda against Christians that they are converting by force, fraud and allurement.

The likes of Bhagwat and Modi are witnessing right in front of their eyes that the Genie can be unleashed from the bottle, but to put it back is a task, which is close to impossible.

Related:

75 Years Down the Line, Whither Indian Constitution?

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear

Restating the agenda of Hindu Rashtra: RSS chief sets the tone for BJP politics

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THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT HAS BEEN SIGNED BY CLOSE TO 200 PEOPLE INCLUDING : Tushar Gandhi, Annie Raja, Father Cedric Prakash, John Dayal, Prakash Louis, Pamela Philipose, Brinelle D’souza, Aloysius Irudayam, Shabnam Hashmi, Lisa Pires, Minakshi Singh , Abha Bhaiya, and Vinod Pande.

The persecution of Christians in India has been a growing concern over the past few years. According to various reports, there has been a significant increase in violence and harassment against Christians, particularly in rural areas.

One of the main reasons attributed to this alarming rise in persecution is the resurgence of Hindutva nationalism, which has led to an increase in anti-minorities sentiment, specially targeting Christians and Muslims. Many religious nationalist groups, such as the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), have been accused of inciting violence against Christians across many states.

According to the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI), there were 327 incidents of violence against Christians in 2021 alone.

In 2022, over 300 attacks against Christians were reported across the country, with many incidents going unreported . The United Christian Forum (UCF) reported 486 incidents of anti-Christian violence in 2022, including 115 incidents of physical violence and 357 incidents of intimidation and harassment. The UCF monitored trend listed 127 incidents in the year 2014, when the Modi government took over power.

Presently, January 2024 to November 2024, India has recorded 745 incidents of Christian citizens being attacked for their faith.

Churches and Christian institutions have been specifically targeted in many incidents. In 2021, at least 15 churches were vandalized or set on fire across India . In 2022, several churches were attacked, including a church in Delhi that was vandalized by a group of Hindu extremists. The May 3rd Manipur riots witnessed the destruction of over 200 churches and countless lives lost.

These incidents of anti-Christian violence have been linked to Hindu nationalist groups, which have been accused of receiving support from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ¹. The Indian government has been criticized for not doing enough to protect the rights of Christians and other minority groups.

The persecution of Christians in India has raised concerns internationally. In 2021, at least 17 human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, cosponsored a Congressional briefing to request the US Government to take action against the growing persecution of Christians in India .

In 2021, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) placed India on its “Countries of Particular Concern” list, citing the country’s “systematic, ongoing, and egregious” persecution of religious minorities .

Simultaneously, 13 state governments have now enacted anti-conversion bills, which are being blatantly abused to wreak havoc on the lives of Christian citizens.

It’s surprising that despite the growing persecution of Christians, prominent members of the Christian hierarchy have chosen to engage with Prime Minister Modi, who has been criticized for his inaction in protecting the rights of Christians. Mr Modi has been seen in recent days with members of the hierarchy at Christmas programmes. He is being invited on 23 December 2024 by the CBCI at a Christmas celebration in New Delhi.

We see this as an attempt by senior institutional leaders of the Christian community to legitimise the government’s inaction on Christian persecution.

We call upon the Christian leadership to voice these concerns and hold the prime minister as head of the government  accountable for the protection of Christians in India. Symbolic gestures do little to address the issue hatred generated against the community, and the resultant targeted violence, harassment,  arrests, and incidents of ostracization in several parts of the country.

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Greetings of peace, love, joy and hope- to each one of you, as you prepare to celebrate my birth once again!

I have just come across an invitation, that some of you are planning to celebrate my birthday on 23 December 2024, in Delhi.A great idea indeed – congrats!! My birth as the Saviour of the world must be celebrated! Do go ahead and enjoy yourselves. However, I must confess that your choice of Chief Guest at my birthday party, confuses me tremendously; in fact, I am aghast! Obviously, you will point fingers to me and say to me that during my life on this earth, I was wining and dining with tax- collectors and prostitutes and damned sinners of every hue on the horizon. I have absolutely no doubt that you would conveniently say this to me. Besides, you would also take me on my own words, unhesitatingly quoting me, “I have come for the sinner…!”

Having said this, I would like to state clearly, strongly and unambiguously:

For my birthday, you are organising in my name, INVITE as Chief Guest…the small farmer/s. You are aware of the suffering that they have been subject to. Their lands have been snatched away from them; they are given a raw deal for the crops they produce; they are being denied a just Minimum Support Price(MSP). Remember the four anti- small farmer laws which are currently in cold storage, designed to help the big corporates who have already built huge granaries? Even today several small farmers are fasting, they want their voice to be heard. I would have been delighted if you had invited one of them for my birthday and given them a voice to express woes, just listened to them. You seem to forget that the first to be invited to celebrate my birthday were the Shepherds. they were the Chief Guests- poor and simple, excluded and exploited, living on the peripheries.They came in haste to worship me! Mummy Mary and Papa Joseph had time for them and received them with the warmth, love and joy which so profoundly defined that first Christmas night.

For my birthday, you are organising in my name, INVITE as Chief Guest…the Human Rights Defender/ s. Umar Khalid, Sudha Bharadwaj, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira and others. My Father had a clear plan, he chose the Magi, the ones who were relentlessly pursuing the truth; the ones who had the courage to follow the Star, despite all odds. The Magi took a stand against the wiles of Herod and refused to toe his line and fall into the trap of his machinations. They took a visible and vocal stand for truth and justice, as they took a calculated decision to go home by another route. There are so many Human Rights defenders who are silenced, hounded and harassed, incarcerated and even killed. Remember our beloved late Fr Stan Swamy? How nice if one of these, who so meaningfully epitomise the spirit of the Gospel, wasaccorded the pride of place at my birthday party!

For my birthday, you are organising in my name, INVITE as Chief Guest …a peacemaker; someone who has the courage to internalise and actualise peace, justice, harmony, joy and fraternity. There are millions of them in India today – simple, ordinary, voiceless, sensitive people who have a genuine concern for others. who reach out to others. That first Christmas night, the angels sang in one voice, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests” On his first Christmas as the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis referred to thesong of the angels as “a song that unites heaven and earth.”. He invited everyone to join in this little song. He called it “a song for every man or woman who keeps watch through the night, who hopes for a better world, who cares for others while humbly seeking to do his or her duty.” Pope Francis said, “the song of the angels gives praise and glory to heaven, while at the same time promising peace to earth and all its people.” It is indeed, a song of peace.

For my birthday, you are organising in my name, INVITE as Chief Guest, …the ‘other’! Remember the people of Egypt? Theyprovided me, my Mum and my Dad with shelter, safety and security. They accorded us a warm welcome. They treated us as one like them, integrated us in their society, gave us all that we needed. It was not easy being refugees, strangers/ foreigners from a distant land. Today we tend to discard these very people so easily. They are discriminated against, their houses are bull-dozed and the most derogatory language is being used against them. My mother always wore a hijab – it was an integral part of her culture and tradition. Today we have reached the lowest rung of pettiness as we determine what one should wear and eat, see and read. It would be an excellent choice to have one of them as the Chief Guest at my birthday party!

For my birthday, you are organising in my name, INVITE as Chief Guest …a tribal/ an Adivasi. The indigenous peoples are the soul of a nation. The natives – the original inhabitants of the land. Their jal, jungle, jameen – all their natural resources are being snatched away from them. Their identity is being destroyed. Actually, having a Kuki-zo tribal from Manipur, would be ideal. Since early May 2023, they have been bruised brutalised and battered; most of them have lost everything. Many are dead, others just surviving in make-shift refugee camps. Their plight is terrible, unbelievable – a classic case of man’s inhumanity to man. Imagine how wonderful it would be if one of them was invited to be the Chief Guest!

For my birthday, you are organising in my name, INVITE as Chief Guest …the poor and the vulnerable: there are so many of them in the country today: the casual labourers, the migrant workers, the fisher folk and other indigenous coastal people, the vegetable vendors and slum- dwellers, the ones who are trafficked,the unemployed, the Dalits, the OBCs, the women and those from the LGBTQIA+ community, the bonded persons and abused children. the list is endless indeed. Besides you forget that I am born a Palestinian – wow it would have been terrific to have a Palestinian as the Chief Guest and take a stand against the ruthlessness of the Israeli fascists

Sadly, you seem to miss the spirit and message of Christmas – as you concentrate on power, privilege, position, possessions and pride. One can never invite someone as Chief guest, who has tried to destroy the sanctity of the Constitution, prevented people from freely practising and propagation one’s religion and even suffocated freedom of speech and expression. Lies, corruption, hate and violence are mainstreamed in the country today.Minorities and other vulnerable sections of society are at the receiving end of a brutal regime. Don’t fool yourselves; this is neither dialogue nor meaningful interactions.

I took a stand against the Caesars, Pilates and Herods of my time. Can you learn from me? You forget that my birth took place in a stable. I am aware that you will do absolutely nothing to change things. That is the tragedy! Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in  ‘God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas’ reminds us, “Who among us will celebrate Christmas correctly? Whoever finally lays down all power, all honour, all reputation, all vanity, all arrogance, all individualism beside the manger; whoever remains lowly and lets God alone be high; whoever looks at the child in the manger and sees the glory of God precisely in his lowliness.”

Finally, enjoy yourself! Sorry, in conscience, I will NOT be in your midst! But of course, you will NOT even invite me for the birthday bash you are organising in my name! No problem! I prefer to be with those, I have truly come for- the least, the lost and the last! Happy Christmas!

Your brother, friend and Saviour,

Jesus Christ

December 21, 2024

(The author is a renowned human rights, reconciliation and peace activist and writer.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author’s personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Sabrangindia.

Note: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Christmas celebrations hosted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) at its headquarters in the national capital on Monday, according to a release from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Sunday.

This event marks the first time a prime minister will participate in a programme at the headquarters of the Catholic Church in India, the release noted.

The post For my birthday, ‘you are organising in my name,’ a point of order: Christmas invite to PM Modi appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In contrast, the party’s prominent Adivasi leaders, including former chief ministers Babulal Marandi and Arjun Munda, are almost absent. Similarly, the manifesto lacks representation of women leaders, especially Adivasi women, raising questions about the party’s commitment to women’s empowerment.

Several pages are entirely devoted to photos of Modi, while Adivasi leader Marandi appears only in two, visibly smaller images. Arjun Munda is visible only in the background of a photograph where Modi occupies the central position.

In the images featured, Modi is seen paying tribute to Adivasi icons such as Birsa Munda (1875-1900), Telanga Kharia (1806–1880), and Veer Budhu Bhagat (1792–1832). In another image, Modi is shown among a group of women, an apparent attempt to convey his appeal as a leader admired by women, committed to their welfare.

Elsewhere, Modi is pictured distributing benefits from the Prime Minister Kisan Mandhan Yojana. Another photo captures him interacting with a potter, and yet another shows him playfully engaging with children.

While some of these images depict Modi’s gestures towards Adivasis and vulnerable communities, a large-sized photograph on page 67 of the manifesto shows him with folded hands, his forehead marked with religious symbols. For some, this image signals his identity as an RSS cadre, underscoring that his engagement with Adivasi communities does not detract from his adherence to, or dereference of, RSS traditions.

Apart from the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) J.P. Nadda and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, no other prominent BJP leaders are featured, reflecting Modi’s continuing dominance within the party.

In a parliamentary democracy, the rise of hero-worship and the dominance of one leader over both the party and the government is seriously concerning. 

In a caste-based society like India, no individual can claim to represent the interests of all groups. That is why social diversity should be reflected in all institutions, from political parties to government bodies. 

The dominance of Modi also challenges the BJP’s claims of being run by “democratic” principles and having “ample space” for internal debates and discussions. But Modi’s rise within the BJP’s central leadership has not only marginalized his rivals but also overshadowed the presence of his supporters.

The BJP Jharkhand manifesto also omits Dalit and OBC leaders from Jharkhand. Nor has the party offered any substantial program for the welfare of the Dalit (12%) and OBC population in the state.

While the manifesto declares the party’s commitment to 27% reservation for OBCs to appeal to the state’s other backward castes, the JMM-led Hemant Soren government has already decided to raise OBC reservation to this level years back. Moreover, while the BJP aims to rally Adivasi voters by emphasizing the threat of “Bangladeshi infiltrators” in Santhal Pargana, it has made no significant gestures toward the state’s Muslim minority. 

Along with the Muslim minority (14.5%), the concerns of the Christian community, which constitutes 4.3% of the population, have also been ignored.Similarly, major issues such as the exploitation of Jharkhand’s resources and the displacement of Adivasis have been sidestepped by focusing on the “threats” of Muslim infiltration and “Naxalism”.

What remains consistent across the pages of the manifesto, however, is the extensive display of Modi’s images.

(The author is an independent journalist)

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Stating that Modi strategised his election campaign to deploy hate speech against the minorities, particularly Muslims, and create false sense of fear among the majority Hindus, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that Modi “made statements inciting discrimination, hostility, and violence against marginalized groups during his campaign to win his third consecutive term of office.” HRW said that it analysed 173 campaign speeches made by Modi and found that Islamophobic remarks were made in at least 110 speeches. The human rights body observed that the Prime Minister “repeatedly described Muslims as “infiltrators” and claimed Muslims had “more children” than other communities, raising the spectre that Hindus—about 80 percent of the population—will become a minority in India.”  It also mentions the role of other BJP leaders in driving the hate agenda, including Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Assam CM Himanta Sarma, and former Minister Anurag Thakur.

The report mentions that “Modi regularly raised fears among Hindus through false claims that their faith, their places of worship, their wealth, their land, and the safety of girls and women in their community would be under threat from Muslims if the opposition parties came to power.”

It quoted Modi’s May 14 speech in Koderma, Jharkhand during which he said, “the idols of our gods are being destroyed” and that “these infiltrators [Muslims] have threatened the security of our sisters and daughters.”  In another of his speech delivered in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, he said “If Congress has its way, it would say that the first right to live in India belongs to its vote bank [Muslims]. … Congress will give quota even in government contracts on the basis of religion.”

The rights body said the Election Commission of India failed to rein in the leader even after multiple complaints were sent to it against his election speeches which were clearly violative of the election’s code of conduct. HRW stated that “Despite finding that Modi and others had violated the guidelines, the commission only wrote to the office of the BJP president, without naming the prime minister, and asked that the BJP and its “star campaigners” refrain from making speeches along religious or communal lines. These directions did not deter Modi, who continued to make speeches inciting hate throughout the campaign period.” It also said that the country has witnessed a surge in anti-Muslim hate speech in India since the Modi administration first took office in 2014.

The study further notes that under the BJP rule, abuse and violence against Muslims, Christians, and other minorities have been normalised, with increased discriminatory policies promoted against the minorities. Commenting on the issue of demolitions carried by the authorities, often without due process of law, HRW said that these demolitions are often carried out as a “collective punishment” against the Muslim communities following communal clashes or dissent, and has been labelled as “Bulldozer Justice” by the members of the ruling regime.

Pointing out the increase in violence against the minorities by the vigilante groups and right-wing mobs, the rights body emphasises on the interlinkage between hate speech and physical attacks on the members of the marginalised groups. The report maintains that minorities have continued to face attacks since the election campaign period across the country. It stated that during 2014 election campaign Modi repeatedly called for protection of cows and strongly attacked Pink Revolution (meat production targets) touted by the then Congress government. As the BJP assumed the office, it further emphasised on statements promoting cow protection, which led to formation of numerous self-appointed cow-protection vigilante groups, and these organisations in turn drove attacks on minority communities with its virulent campaign against beef-consumption and cow slaughter, HRW noted. The study observed that “Between May 2015 and December 2018, at least 44 people—36 of them Muslims—were killed across 12 states. Over that same period, about 280 people were injured in more than 100 incidents across 20 states. The attacks have continued, with several more killed since then.”

On the increase in violence against Christians, it remarked that “Leaders from the BJP and affiliated Hindu nationalist groups have made statements that led to numerous mob attacks on churches in the last decade. In many cases, pastors have been beaten, prevented from holding religious meetings, and accused under anti-conversion laws, and churches have been vandalized.” In addition, it stated that in the aftermath of protests against farm laws which have since been withdrawn, the “anti-Sikh statements by BJP leaders led to a June 10 attack by two men on a Sikh man, whom they called Khalistani, in Haryana’s Kaithal district.”

The human rights body said that members of Hindu nationalist groups have also targeted the persecuted Rohingya Muslims living in Jammu and Delhi regions of the country. It said that after labelling Rohingya as “terrorists”, the right-wings groups have targeted their homes in arson, and noted that following a fire in Rohingya settlement in Delhi during which some 50 homes were burned in 2018, a BJP leader was reported posting on Twitter, saying “Well done by our heroes … Yes we burnt the houses of Rohingya terrorists.”

The report quoting the Asia Director of HRW said that “The Indian government’s claims of plurality and being the ‘mother of democracy’ ring hollow in the face of its abusive anti-minority actions,” and “The new Modi government needs to reverse its discriminatory policies, act on violence against minorities, and ensure justice for those affected.”

Related:

Complaints filed against PM Modi for promoting religious hatred during his Banswara rally, accusing opposition Congress of working to distribute country’s wealth to Muslims | SabrangIndia

Hate speech escalates in India amidst general assembly election campaigns | CJP

‘Inflammatory, communal’: Modi inciting hate in Jharkhand, poll official told | SabrangIndia

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For those who don’t know or don’t remember, these passages from Sacred Scripture will help put things in perspective:

And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray from Sacred Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born. “Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.” (Mt. 26: 21-25) …. While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him. “Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend. “Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. (Mt. 26: 47-50)

Powerful and real passages from Sacred Scripture of how the ‘kiss of Judas’ was actually the very opposite, of what a ‘kiss’ is actually meant to symbolise. Jesus, who believed and lived ‘the truth’ never minced words when he took on the powerful of his times:  the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the Pilates and the Herods and all those who laid heavy burdens on the poor and marginalised. He referred to them as ‘a brood of vipers’, and ‘whitened sepulchres. In the Gospel of St Mathew (23:1-12) we read, “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’s seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it, but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others, for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father, the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted”.

Every year, the leaders of the world’s seven largest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan. United Kingdom and the United States (the European Union is also part of this group) meet to discuss economic and political issues at the Group of Seven, or G7, Summit. These annual events are organised and hosted by a different member each time. They met in Apulia Italy from 13- 15 June this year. The host also invites some other countries as guests to this summit. This year, Italy invited Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, India, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritania, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine and the Vatican City to the summit. South Africa was also invited but declined because of the change in government there. So, twelve other countries were also present including the heads of the UN and major international financial institutions.

The highlight of this G-7 Summit was the presence of Pope Francis, who addressed them on ‘Artificial Intelligence’ and its effects on humanity. It was historic, that a Pope would participate in such a summit and in fact give a path-breaking speech which found prime place in the final communique of the Summit!

As the Pope was wheeled into the hall of the Summit on 14 June, he was given a rousing ovation by the World leaders and others gathered there. Some of them personally greeted him with the civility and decorum, which is befitting when one head of State greets the other! Towards the end of the line was Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. Taking the Holy Father off-guard, Modi bent down and gave the Pope what resembled a bear-hug! Such acts are just not done! Despite the fact that he was on a wheelchair, the Pope literally had no choice, but remained courteous enough to accept the hug! Fortunately, most of the world media, did not highlight that hug- though sections of the Indian ‘godified’ and ‘modified’ media did so!

Those who know Modi and his dramatics, will easily agree, that his hugging the Pope has nothing to do with Pope Francis! Modi is fundamentally a showman, an opportunist, who loves photo-ops, glaring at cameras and at times even insisting that the cameras focus only on him! There are many examples to authenticate this! For example, some time ago when he had to meet his ailing mother in Gandhinagar, he did not step out of his car, till the cameramen (who were late) had arrived and taken their positions inside the house! Unfortunately, for him, this time, he was unable to look into the cameras, whilst hugging the Pope!

Modi has gone on record saying that he has invited Pope Francis to India! He also said this, after he met Pope Francis in the Vatican late October 2021. Since then, the Government of India has not extended an official invitation to the Pope to come to India! Modi could have easily ensured that but did not do so! Modi is a master in making promises, in bluffing and manipulating things to his advantage. Unfortunately, in the past ten years and more, many have fallen prey to his false promises, mastery of words and in his unparalleled skill in deflecting from real issues that plague the country!

Millions of Indians (Christians and non-Christians) would be delighted if Pope Francis actually comes to India. There is no doubt of that! Besides Pope Francis, given his penchant for the poor and the marginalised, the excluded and the exploited, will need to have his visits planned; both the hosts and the organisers would do well to include the following visits in the Papal itinerary:

• to Manipur: to bring solace to the Kukis and other victims there, who still are at the receiving end of a brutal, violent, insensitive regime. Most of the victims are Christians and/or tribals.
• to Jharkhand: the Adivasi heartland of India- to see how the indigenous peoples of India are being deprived of their legitimate jal-jungle-jameen.
• to West Bengal: to meet with those Bengalis who came into India more than fifty years ago during the Bangladesh war of Independence and are now being treated as illegal migrants.
• to UP: where Muslims are the victims of a bull-dozer raj, just because they do not toe the line, or some meat is apparently found in their fridge.
• to Taloja jail, where there are still some incarcerated in the Bhima-Koregaon conspiracy case; his own Jesuit brother Fr Stan Swamy was the victim of an institutional murder on 5 July 2021.
• to the coastal region of Trivandrum where thousands of indigenous coastal people have lost their livelihood because of the Adani port.

Besides, Pope Francis will have many other concerns which he would like express, these could include:

• On the Freedom of Speech and Expression: of how writers, intellectuals, human rights defenders are being subjugated in the country
• On the Freedom of Religion: of the draconian anti-conversion laws being brought in by this Government particularly in the States they govern (Rajasthan planning one now)
• On the way this Government treats refugees and migrants particularly the Rohingyas – whom Pope Francis addressed as his brothers and sisters
• On the Government’s Environment record which is one of the worst in the world
• On the fact that a few rich are becoming richer at the expense of the poor
• On the quality of political life in India and the fact that democracy is meticulously being dismantled
• On the growing unemployment in the country

Pope Francis will have his plate very full if and when he is invited to India- and if he actually comes!

Modi would not have understood the significance and importance of the four gifts which Pope Francis presented him with in the Vatican in October 2021. They were also about ‘good governance’ and what a good ruler should be doing today!

When Pope Francis addressed the G-7 Summit on 14 June on ‘Artificial Intelligence’ he spoke rather strongly saying among other things, “This is precisely where political action is urgently needed. The Encyclical Fratelli Tutti reminds us that “for many people today, politics is a distasteful word, often due to the mistakes, corruption and inefficiency of some politicians. There are also attempts to discredit politics, to replace it with economics or to twist it to one ideology or another. Yet can our world function without politics? Can there be an effective process of growth towards universal fraternity and social peace without a sound political life?” …. Our answer to these questions is: No! Politics is necessary! I want to reiterate in this moment that “in the face of many petty forms of politics focused on immediate interests […] ‘true statecraft is manifest when, in difficult times, we uphold high principles and think of the long-term common good. Political powers do not find it easy to assume this duty in the work of nation-building’ much less in forging a common project for the human family, now and in the future”.. My reflection on the effects of artificial intelligence on humanity leads us to consider the importance of “healthy politics” so that we can look to our future with hope and confidence. I have written previously that “global society is suffering from grave structural deficiencies that cannot be resolved by piecemeal solutions or quick fixes. Much needs to change, through fundamental reform and major renewal. Only a healthy politics, involving the most diverse sectors and skills, is capable of overseeing this process. An economy that is an integral part of a political, social, cultural and popular programme directed to the common good could pave the way for ‘different possibilities which do not involve stifling human creativity and its ideals of progress, but rather directing that energy along new channels” 

Not sure if Modi was listening to Pope Francis or if he did listen, whether he understood the significance of what was said particularly in the context of present India! Interestingly, the final communique of the G-7 speak of many things besides Artificial Intelligence, they include Ukraine, Gaza, Africa, Climate change, migration – but there is practically no reference to India or the role the country could be playing on the world stage today!

‘Humbug’ is best described as false talk and behaviour, deception!  The hug from a humbug says it all!

(Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights, reconciliation and peace activist/ writer. Contact: cedricprakash@gmail.com )

The post The Hug of a Humbug! appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Severe criticism of his ten year regime on issues of employment, rising prices, plight of farmers, paper leaks, Agniveer scheme etc. was getting traction. How to divert the attention from these core issues of people was his major concern. It’s another thing that the tactic not only failed to fructify but attracted sharp rebuke from several quarters.

This outpouring on Mahatma Gandhi served another function, apart from distracting attention from people’s issues; it targeted Nehru and earlier Congress regimes for ignoring the popularization of Gandhi on the global arena.

More than criticism of Nehru-earlier Congress regimes, actually it shows Modi’s ignorance about the life and works of Gandhi, the Mahatma’s international prestige and his role in being the lighthouse for major figures of the world. It shows Modi’s ignorance  about Gandhi’s influence on global politics from the decade of 1930s itself, much before Richard Attenborough came out with this biopic on him, based on the biography written by Luis Fisher.

With Gandhi’s struggles in South Africa, he came to be recognized as a major leader against apartheid. With his coming to India and leading the Champaran movement for farmers, his friend Charlie Andrews spread to the world the unique nature of the Champaran Satyagraha. His unique tool of Satyagraha based on truth and non-violence began to draw the attention of the world towards the problems of the weak and the exploited.

Later other movements launched by him — Civil Disobedience and Salt March — were widely covered in the global media.

The attention paid to him was mainly a source of inspiration for the struggle for justice and the involvement of people around the concerns of the society. His lifework and messages spread with lightning speed on the global scale.

On one hand, the British rulers intensified the repression in India, and, on the other, those respecting peace, justice and non-violence started noticing Gandhi’s contribution to the principles of humanism at the global level.

While Modi may not know the real contribution of Gandhi and his great popularity in the world since that time, he needs to know that the English Newspaper, “The Burlington Hawk-Eye”, September 20, 1931,, carried a full page feature on him, “Most Talked About Man in the World”. The renowned American magazine, “Time”, carried him on the Cover as ‘Man of the Year in 1931’, and on two other occasions he was on the cover of this coveted magazine again. Similarly, a “Time” companion magazine, “Life”, also carried a feature on him.

Global personalities contributing to the process of peace and justice through their works and ideas started getting attracted to him. Albert Einstein wrote in 1939:

“I believe that Gandhi’s views were the most enlightened of all the political men of our time. We should strive to do things in his spirit: not to use violence in fighting for our cause, but by non-participation in anything you believe is evil.”

He said of Gandhi that “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.”

Severe criticism of Modi on issues of employment, rising prices, plight of farmers, paper leaks, Agniveer scheme etc. was getting traction

Charles Chaplin, inspired by Gandhi’s movement, ensured a meeting with him, and reflection of Gandhi’s values is very much there in his films, ‘Modern Times’ and ‘The Great Dictator’. In the latter Chaplin contrasts Gandhi with Hitler. Similarly French dramatist Roman Rollain in the French edition of “Young India” wrote, “If (Jesus) Christ was the Prince of Peace, Gandhi is no less worthy of this noble title.”

Two major activists of the twentieth century, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, drew inspiration and direction for the path of their struggle from Gandhi. In an article in “The Hindustan Times” (1959) King wrote:

“I came to see at a very early stage that a synthesis of Gandhi’s method of non-violence and the Christian ethic of love is the best weapon available to Negroes for this struggle for freedom and human dignity ”

And finally, the massive and prolonged struggles of Nelson Mandela had the underlying values derived from Gandhi’s life and teachings. He lauded “Mahatma Gandhi combined ethics and morality with a steely resolve that refused to compromise with the oppressor, the British Empire.”

Modi should just know that today there are a large number of universities in the world where Gandhian studies are a part of their curricula. There are many schools trying to teach his values. Nearly 80 global cities have Gandhi streets and Gandhi statues installed in their prominent places.

As far as films are concerned, our own Films Division had come out with a documentary film, made by Vithalbhai Jhaveri, much before Attenborough. As a matter of fact, Attenborough saw this film twice and advised the lead actor of the film, Ben Kingsley, to watch it to understand Gandhi’s mannerisms etc.

As for the Modi’s allegation that the previous regimes did not do anything to popularize Gandhi in the world, even in the making of Attenborough film, the Indian Government through the National Films Development Corporation contributed a major sum for making this movie.

For Modi’s information, the Attenborough film is dedicated amongst others to Nehru also. It was Nehru who advised him not to present Gandhi as a superhuman being, but as the one with all his weaknesses and strengths as he led the nation. Gandhi’s international reputation is not due to films but films have been made due to his fame and reputation. The number of books written on and about him are astounding.

It’s time we revisit the Father of the Nation, whose teachings on harmony and peace are far more relevant today than when he preached and practiced those.

Author is Political commentator 

Courtesy: CounterView

The post ‘Flopped diversionary move’: Modi view on Gandhi popularity during polls appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Yoga Negated Through Modi’s Hate Speeches

The societal harmony being flagged to mark International Yoga Day celebrations this year is negated by Modi’s numerous hate speeches against Muslims delivered just over two weeks ago while campaigning in the recently concluded 18th general elections.

The PM’s diatribes against people pursuing Islamic faith and his repeated utterances that they are “infiltrators” out to take away properties of Hindus if his political opponents acquire power, was contrary to the ideals of societal harmony. Even his repeated false assertions that certain political parties on coming to power would make Muslims entitled to reservation meant for Dalits, Scheduled tribes and Other Backward Classes, were aimed at causing societal disharmony for electoral gains.

Such Islamophobia demonstrated in his speeches shocked the nation and outraged the international community.

Vivekananda Linked Yoga With Ability to Fight Tyrants

Had Swami Vivekananda been alive, he would have found it despicable that a person occupying the post of Prime Minister and taking credit for sensitising the UN to celebrate June 21 every year as International Yoga Day, is in his actions and speeches spewing venom against people in the name of faith.

Swami Vivekananda would have recalled one of his remarks on Yoga made while speaking in the US  on the subject “Sadhanas or Preparations for Higher Life.” He said, “No breathing, no physical training of Yoga, nothing is of any use until you reach to the idea, “I am the Witness.” Say, when the tyrant hand is on your neck, “I am the Witness! I am the Witness!” Say, “I am the Spirit! Nothing external can touch me.” When evil thoughts arise, repeat that, give that sledgehammer blow on their heads, “I am the Spirit!

Tragically, the ruling leadership has dragged our country down to the level of electoral autocracy where the all- pervasive doctrine of frightfulness sustains their rule.

Swami Vivekananda’s words “the tyrant hand is on your neck” have become a reality in India during the past 10 years. We need to be empowered by Yoga to say “I am the witness” to get our freedom and democracy back. This is the revolutionary meaning of Yoga for emancipation from dictatorial methods of governance being perpetuated in India now in complete contravention of the constitutional vision of country. Mere asanas, Yogic postures, are not enough; we need to imbibe the spirit of Yoga to defy leaders who trample upon our life and liberty.

Yoga Compliments Religious Pluralism

In another speech delivered in the US on the theme “The Goal and Method of Realisation”, Vivekananda referred to the different types of Yoga — Karma, Bhakti, Raja, Jnana — and said, “These are all different roads leading to the same centre — God.”

Adding further, he upheld coexistence of all faiths by saying, “Indeed, the varieties of religious belief are an advantage, since all faiths are good, so far as they encourage man to lead a religious life. The more sects there are, the more opportunities there are for making successful appeals to the divine instinct in all men”.

Vivekananda’s ringing words, “…the varieties of religious belief are an advantage, since all faiths are good” articulated by him in the context of explaining the meaning of Yoga, assume greater significance when Modi, as Prime Minister, tramples upon the essence of Yoga by delivering toxic speeches against Muslims, stoking religious disharmony, discord and hatred. Hence, how do Modi’s pronouncements promote “…both individual well-being and societal harmony” one of the themes of this year’s International Yoga Day?

Gandhi and Yoga

Yoga is rooted in the meditative aspects of religion that are integral to the values of ethics and non-violence. In Patanjali’s eight-fold Yoga, the first fold prescribed, among others, truth, non-violence, non-possession and non-stealing. These ideals constitute the first syllable of Yoga. Mahatma Gandhi did not follow any yogic practice but made truth and non-violence the sheet anchor of India’s struggle to attain freedom from British rule.

Modi, on the other hand, has been delivering hate speeches that constitute a travesty of Yoga and its foundational ideals of truth and non-violence. He should redeem himself of the breaches of those ideals first before waxing eloquent on Yoga and societal harmony.

The writer served as Officer on Special Duty to President of India K R Narayanan. The views are personal.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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