Reality that bites India

In the largest democracy in the world, autocracy flourishes. Known as Modi's India it has become a one-man show. A show that goes on despite scathing attack by world leaders, intellectuals and human rights organizations. Shoot the messenger, shut the NGOs, jail the dissidents, kill the rebellious, ban the voice, maim the protests, lock down the entire region. These are some of the "highlights" of the lowness of Modi's India. Traditionally, India has got away with its closed, closeted violation of human rights especially in Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK). Imagine how outrageous their atrocities must be for the world to cry out despite the lure of the big Indian market economy.

They say a crisis is the real test of the true colours of a leader. A true leader will blossom as his or her character shines out in the darkness of the situation. A fake leader's mask will crack and the ugliness of the inhumane character will surface in its horrible reality. That is exactly what has happened to India. The pandemic has laid bare its long hidden discriminatory and caste-oriented society. From the decision of a sudden, thoughtless and harsh lockdown to the insistence on encroaching neighbourhood territories, India's nefarious designs have now become a talk of seminars, articles and books.

This is, and will be, a commercial world. To become powerful you need money. To get money you need to have a market that is economically attractive and a workforce that is potentially skilled and productive. Credit must be given to India for working on these two areas to move up in the comity of nations. It has a consumer market rivalling China but without the tag of being a non-democratic country. It enjoyed its skillfully build image of the largest market, the biggest democracy and one of the highest growth economies in the world for a long time. On other hand, India's caste system, though abolished, has been a cultural norm for some time. India's illegal occupation and adverse human rights record in Kashmir was successfully covered by blaming Pakistan for igniting terrorism cross border. First Modi with his heady electoral success based on anti-Muslim, anti-Pakistan and then the pandemic opened up the pandora of closet fascism that cloaked fake secularism.

When Modi's over-confidence in Indian international dominance turned into abject arrogance, on 5th August India abrogated Article 370. Expecting a token reaction from Pakistan and a nominal reprimand from human rights organizations Modi was shocked by Pakistan's stance. Not only was the prime minister of Pakistan successful in drawing attention to Modi's similarity to Hitler and his party RSS to Nazi party, he was also able to draw attention to state-sponsored terror of India. Arrogance is a blinder. Modi has now headlong gone into an irreversible spree of more and more atrocities both in IIOJK and in India as his citizen amendment act has become a point of contention between Muslims in India and in Bangladesh. Consumed by ego, Modi is playing his game of hate and aggression even more without being cognizant of the following changing realities:

1. The Obama Leaks- Previously any western political leaks would be full of dirt on Pakistani leaders. Wikileaks exposed the duplicity of Zardari on drones and Maulana Fazalur Rehman on pleading to the US for heading the government. This is the first time that in a book by none other than ex-President Obama "A Promised Land" he exposes Indians as extremists practicing hate racial politics. There are some damning statements in it. "Violence, both public and private, remained an all-too-pervasive part of Indian life. Expressing hostility towards Pakistan was still the quickest route to national unity". These statements were written before the Modi draconian steps and inhumane lockdown in Kashmir. The seeds of hatred and Hindutva have all along been in the Indian society that have now been shamelessly exhibited by Modi. This blatant model of racial superiority and state sponsored torture on minorities is now a fact universally being condemned by the world leaders.

2. International Human Rights Protests- Modi's India is intolerant. Not only towards Muslims and minorities but towards anybody who dares point this out. Amnesty international office was closed down and asked to quit India when they reported the abuses in IIOJK, etc. This has created retaliation from international bodies. Recently, Genocide Watch, an organization that works to predict, prevent and stop genocide and other forms of mass murder in the world, presented "10 stages of Genocide against Muslims" at a seminar. In his opening remarks, Dr. Gregory Stanton, the President, said, "Preparation for genocide is definitely under way in India." He explained, "The persecution of Muslims in Assam and Kashmir is the stage just before genocide. The next stage is extermination-that's what we call genocide." This is causing discomfort in India. A literary festival in India was cancelled as it had Noam Chomsky as a panelist who has bitterly criticized Modi and his ideology. The fact that Indians and the government are just resorting to force to suppress international voices means that the narrative against India is out of their control.

3. Pakistan's Evidence-Based Campaign- Pakistan has launched a campaign on exposing India's terror activities in Pakistan. In a first of its kind, the DG ISPR had a detailed press conference showing proofs of all the bomb blasts and terrorism sponsored by India in major attacks, including APS Peshawar, and their plans to attack and disrupt the CPEC. India has refuted this. Pakistan's UN representative has presented the dossier to the UN Secretary General. This dossier will also be presented to various human rights organizations. India more used to a mumbling defence from Pakistan is surprised and concerned about Pakistan's new strategy.

India's best defence, i.e., its market, is also staggering under the pandemic persistence. Previously, it had the luxury of glamorizing its reality under the cloak of a buzzing industry, growing exports and huge investments. All of that is contracting due to lockdown and virus mismanagement. Thus, the world is at relative liberty to criticize India openly. For Pakistan this is an opportune time. Having launched its campaign on presenting the dossier to UN Secretary General, an aggressive follow-up is required by lobbying to human rights, anti-terrorism organizations and think tanks. A combination of diplomatic push, media pull and skillful positioning will help achieve what never was but is now a possibility-India as the rogue state facilitator of terror and Pakistan as the peace facilitator.

(The writer can be reached at [email protected])

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020