B L Saraf
While euphoria created by a successful visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States of America still linger on, the latter’s newly appointed Ambassador to India has put a dampener of sorts on the celebrations. Soon after taking charge the recently appointed US Ambassador to India , Eric Garceti said on Manipur violence, ” I pray for peace in Manipur and offer American assistance in any possible way. I don’t think it’s about strategic concerns , it is about human concerns. You don’t have to be an Indian to care when children or individuals die in this sort of violence .” According to the media reports the US envoy uttered these words in Kolkata .
Arindam Bagchi, MES spokesperson commented on the Ambassador’s statement, “I am not sure if foreign diplomats comment on internal developments in India .” About Manipur the spokesman said that we will see peace soon there. Agencies , local Government and security forces are working on it . Manish Tiwari, Congress leader and former Minister in the Central Government, reacting to this statement , said that in his four decades long public life he never heard US Ambassador making statement of this nature about internal affairs of India .
The U S Ambassador’s statement , apart from constituting an uncalled for interference in the domestic affairs of India, has an in built tendency to take Manipur issue to the territories beyond India. When Ambassador Garceti says ” You don’t have to be Indian to care when children and individuals die in this sort of violence ” he extends an open invitation to all the busy bodies – across globe – to make a comment on the prevailing Manipur incidents. Implying thereby that Indian state has overlooked death of children and innocents in Manipur violence . Knowing well how India is surrounded by some unfriendly countries the statement could give them a handle to beat this country at the global platforms , as and when situation suits them. Surely, for India which aspires to be a global leader this doesn’t make a comforting scenario .
Well, it is known all over that America has varied ways of pushing its statecraft which is essentially focused on furtherance of its own politico- economic interests. So, many State and Non-State agencies keep on working overtime to pursue the agenda – sometimes one not knowing what the other is doing. Senator Larry Pressler has scholastically explained it so well in his book Neighbours In Arms (A book on Indo -Pak relations) . He shows how the military establishment and a large arms industry association with department of Home Land Security , lawyers, lobbyists, bankers and economic interests have created a monster to run the United States. He call the monster an” Octopus- without a solid form but with long tentacles and a strong grip . A creature which can lurk in nooks and crannies and can change appearance to hide from predators and strike at a prey. If confronted , it can conjure up a cloud of silt and ink , camouflaging itself .It slowly strangles its enemies to death .” Is the monster on job ? In one shape playing economics with India and in the other delivering sermons on civil rights !
Then , we know how well Americans play the game of good cop- bad cop. While President Joe Bidden was warmly hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in White house and the US Lawmakers were listening him with rapt attention , not far away President Biden’s co Democrat and his onetime predecessor -in -office Barrack Obama was tutoring him, via journalist Christine Amonpur – how he should tell Modi to take care of the minorities – read Muslims in India. A day later a question of similar purport was directed at PM Modi in the White House press conference where President Bidden too was present . These are not mere off the cuff instances but are created to unveil a definite pattern. How can one ignore concerns which several US Lawmakers expressed about Human Rights issues in India and stayed away from PM Modi’s address to the House of Representatives?
Well there could be a merit in argument that , as a state policy , USA does care for Universal Human Rights and has a huge constituency which really believes in upholding Human Rights of the people -irrespective of color, creed, religion and the nationality. Therefore, any ruling dispensation and persons in public life in that country have to pay due regard to the constituency . In appreciation of the argument , we may recall the statement made by Barrack Obama – when in office – at the gathering at Delhi while he was concluding his official visit to India where he , on the invitation of PM Modi , happened to be the chief guest at 2015 Republic Day parade . He drew attention of the audience, comprised of students , intellectual and civil society activists , to the Article 25 of the Constitution of India and exhorted them and the powers that be in Delhi to have a regard for spirit of the law. This Article deals with minority rights in India . A cynic would call it , then , as Obama’s parting gift to his hosts.
It is in no way consoling for us to say that Barrack Obama has bombed many Muslim countries and killed thousands of the faithful . We have to look inwards why has US Envoy chosen to speak in such language about Manipur crisis so soon after assuming the charge . So far as U S is concerned the matter didn’t rest there . Following the envoy’s comment , Bidden administration’s top official on human rights issues , Uzra Zeya , visited India with a purpose to have discussion with government officials and civil society activists regarding restrictions placed by the state on NGOs and on issues of “marginalized religious and ethnic minorities.” These are the concerns which well meaning persons within the country have been flagging, occasionally.
The tone and tenor of the national debate during past couple of years has been – to say modestly – mostly polarizing which, unfortunately , is perceived to be a defining element of India’s attitude towards the marginalized sections of its society . For example, take the debate developing around the feasibility of application of Uniform Civil Code to one and all . The issue of Uniform Code has been framed in such away as to evoke response conditioned by a polarizing binary . There is no denying that every community living in India needs a reform in its Personal Law . But we have to remember that the UC Code has a religious neutral character which needs to be emphasized in such a way, only , if the nation has to overcome all pervading gender and caste based prejudices .
(The author is former Principal
District and Sessions Judge)
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