Modicum of Intelligence?

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Last week, when the US rescinded Narendra Modi's visitor visa, it reaffirmed what the world has been feeling for quite some time now--the US aspires not just to be the world cop, but also the world judge. Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat, was scheduled to attend a private conference in the US but his visa was canceled on the grounds that he is a perpetrator of religious intolerance.

Clearly, the US authorities have decided to overlook two relevant facts: (1) Modi has already been cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent commission, and (2) Modi is an elected official. But then, this US stance is no different from the way they thumbed their noses at Hans Blix's assessment of WMD's in Iraq, and the manner in which they rejected the UN.

To be fair, the US has every right to decide who goes through their border. However, when they publicly snub an elected official of India in this manner, they are effectively snubbing India. If they truly feel that India is a breeding ground for religious intolerance, then why the pretense of being friends? Why bother inviting the Indian prime minister to the US? After all, the ultimate accountability lies with the head of state, not some chief minister of a region. Blacklist the whole lot, not a single individual.

Before letting Condi Rice set foot on Indian soil, perhaps the Indian authorities should also have closely examined her role in the senseless destruction of a sovereign nation. If the US can play judge, why can't the Indians? Sadly, they rolled out the red carpet for her--and stamped her passport with no qualms.

Comments

Tarun said…
I totally agree with you.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
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