By Ranjona Banerji
The new US ambassador to India has offered to “help” with the violence in Manipur.
How will the Modi government and its fans, especially in the media, play this one?
Thanks to remarkable coverage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US, many Indians actually believe that life in the United States came to a standstill for those few days in June as everyone stood on the roads to cheer Modi.
He is the “Vishwaguru”, the most popular leader in the world. If you believe Indian television, even countries which have never heard of him want Modi as their “leader”.
And after all that, this:
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/manipur-violence-eric-garcetti-its-about-human-concerns-us-envoy-offers-help-on-manipur-violence-4185187
The sad truth is that almost two months after civil unrest began in the North Eastern state, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has made not one public comment about Manipur. Over a 100 people have been killed in the fighting, thousands injured and many more have lost property and livelihood. Ammunition has been stolen from military stocks. There is anger at the betrayal and over the losses. The BJP government in the state seems helpless. The Union Home Minister Amit Shah made one pointless visit and then went back to electioneering.
And it’s not as if the violence has ended.
https://www.telegraphindia.com/north-east/woman-shot-dead-outside-a-school-in-manipurs-imphal-west-district-schools-reopened-on-july-5-after-2-months/cid/1950220
As Sushant Singh asks in this analysis for Deccan Herald:
“To call this a civil war may be unpalatable but it would not be inaccurate. Where else would women be organising themselves to block roads so that the central forces and the army may not reach areas where mobs are attacking villages of other ethnic denominations?”
https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/modi-s-silence-on-manipur-has-destroyed-the-state-s-credibility-1228736.html
What we have here is dereliction of duty and a sniper attack from one of Modi’s so-called “friends”.
The White House, in its defence of Sabrina Siddique after Indian television and the rightwing troll brigade went berserk in their attacks on the journalist for questioning Modi, has made it clear that it stands for democracy. The ambassador’s offer of “help” underlines exactly what the US administration thinks of Modi.
The Indian media in its immense blind crush on Modi is now caught between a rock and a hard place, not that there will be any admission of stupidity. If the US has no concept of democracy and has no business interfering in India’s internal affairs, then why make such a fuss about the glorious reception that Modi received?
And on the other hand, if you care about what the US thinks, then what do you make of Ambassador Eric Garcetti’s offer?
As the Indian media pays scant attention to Manipur and does not question Modi on his inaction and lack of a competent strategy, it also continues to amplify Hindu-Muslim hatred. Attacks on Muslims and mosques continue as the Indian media is so excited about the proposed Uniform Civil Code. Knowing that it is an election gimmick for 2024, to make it clear to the Hindutva base that Muslims will be further demonized and suppressed.
India’s both-sides liberals and this includes journalists, will look for parallels in older Congress governments to justify the BJP’s actions. Because the false trope continues: only a perfect, spotless political party has the right to take on the BJP while the same demands of spotless perfection cannot be demanded of the BJP. It is apparently either above or below such demands. Either way, it’s a lose-lose for democracy with active help from the media.
And where did I start? Manipur.
O ya. You may as well ask where it is.
Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal