Now, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia have joined over a dozen Muslim countries in condemning controversial remarks against the Prophet, causing a global embarrassment for India.
This is not good news for India. In fact on Sunday, #boycottindiangoods was trending the whole day on twitter as the microblogging site users in Middle East came out all guns blazing against India.
Seeking to defuse a diplomatic row, spokespersons of the Indian Embassy in Qatar and Kuwait said that the “the views do not reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements.” the spokesperson of the Indian Embassy here said.
For past couple of months, the voices against instances of communal discord has been becoming louder globally.
In April this year, during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar silenced US criticism of human rights in India, questioning the rights violation situation in US. The riposte came hours after the annual Country Report on Human Rights Practices released by the State Department stated among other things that government officials at both local and national levels in India were “intimidating” critical media outlets through physical harassment and attacks, followed by secretary of state Antony Blinken saying the US is monitoring “rise in human rights abuses” in India.
The government has to realise that the more it encourages communal divide and muzzles its critics by remaining silent on these matters, the anti-India voices will become shriller. Every time Jaishankar won’t be able to use his oratory skills to shut down these voices. India not only has a high volume of trade with the Middle East, there are also a huge number of Indian expats working there in various capacities. Their livelihood and safety will become a concern. We saw a glimpse of that on Sunday when there were demands to sack Indians working in the Arab nations.
This entire incident should come as a jolt for the government. It must understand that it may slience its critics within the country, but can’t do that at a global scale.
It is high time the establishment gets serious about real issues that are confronting the people. There has been enough of divisive politics, enough of hate and destruction already. A country which has multiple religions, castes, sub-castes, languages, dialects, customs and rituals can’t allow majoritarian politics to take over our lives every time. The people also have to look through this trap and question the government about real issues.
Online education for two years meant a large number of students were left out of the formal education system. The lives of these children, who mostly belong to underprivileged sections of the society, has been pegged back by many years. The differently abled children who need physical intervention for their growth on a daily basis could not have access to therapy and personal care. Their growth has been stalled.
These examples are just tip of the iceberg. On top of these, we have a hostile and a volatile neighbourhood. Countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal are struggling, thanks to the Chinese debt trap. China is itself grappling with the resurgence of COVID, which means there are a lot more problems in store for the future. Instead of invoking the past everytime, we have to prepare for tackling the challenges of future, which are enormous and no ready solutions in sight.
