The Modi administration is allegedly repressing human rights in India, according to banners displayed on trucks. Protests over claims that Narendra Modi’s right-wing government is repressing human rights in India have cut through the celebrations surrounding his visit to the US.
On Wednesday, trucks with signs urging Joe Biden to interview the Hindu leader were spotted in New York’s streets. Several Democratic politicians also urged Mr. Biden to “directly” ask Mr. Modi about human rights abuses.
Digital billboards on the trucks had messages addressed to Mr. Biden, such as “Did you realize mob lynchings of Muslims, Christians, and Dalits have increased under Modi’s leadership. Without much responsibility,” and “Hey Joe! Ask Modi why Umar Khalid, a student activist, has been imprisoned for more than 1,000 days without being tried.
Another banner that was directed towards Vice President Biden asked, “Why was Modi banned from the USA from 2005-2014?” and offered a response.
It stated that the Indian prime minister was the “only person ever to be denied a visa on these grounds” for “particularly severe violations of religious freedom”. The “Crime Minister of India” was another moniker that appeared on the banners.
The tour has been overshadowed by calls to address violence and atrocities against minorities in India as Mr. Biden and Mr. Modi begin the second day of the latter’s high-profile state visit and attempt to sign new collaborations in defense, semiconductor manufacturing, and other areas.
A joint address is among the most prestigious invitations and accolades the United States Congress can extend, according to prominent progressive voices like Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar, who have declared they will not attend Mr. Modi’s speech to the US Congress.
“We should not do so for individuals with deeply troubling human rights records – particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed communities,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement.
In a letter to Mr. Biden, more than 70 MPs urged him to voice concerns about the deterioration of political, press, and religious freedoms during his meeting with Mr. Modi.
Representative Pramila Jayapal, who was born in India and assisted in organizing the lawmakers’ letter, said, “It is an important country to me, and we must call out some of the real issues that are threatening the viability of democracy in all of our countries.”
“I think it will affect our ability to have a really strong relationship with India if India continues to regress,” the speaker said.
A week before Mr. Modi was scheduled to arrive, US rights organizations prepared demonstrations against what they described as India’s deteriorating human rights record.
When the two leaders were set to meet, the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition, Veterans for Peace, the Indian American Muslim Council, and Peace Action planned to congregate close to the White House.
Flyers with the slogans “Modi Not Welcome” and “Save India from Hindu Supremacy” were created by the protesting groups.
Another event with a play on Mr. Modi’s 2019 “Howdy Modi!” rally in Texas with Donald Trump called “Howdy Democracy” is scheduled for New York.
India has dropped from 140th on the World Press Freedom Index to 161st this year, its lowest drop ever, since Mr. Modi took office in 2014. It has also topped the list for the most internet shutdowns globally for five years in a row.
Concerns regarding alleged violations of human rights under Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have also been expressed by advocacy groups.
People in power may avoid the discomfort of minorities in society, but people around the globe will not hesitate to raise their voices against the rule.
