The media-political establishment of the United States of America suffers from remarkable hubris. Despite the atrocious conduct of the USA in recent times, the liberal media and the Democrat party continues to feign moral superiority over the rest of the world, especially India. As the USA continues to struggle through an era of the great divide, CNN has become the embodiment of the rot that has taken over the country. In an article published by CNN on the 20th of November titled “In secular India, it’s getting tougher to be Muslim”, the author expects India to tolerate a state of affairs that the USA will never tolerate within its own territory.
The author uses the abrogation of Article 370, the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi case and the NRC to paint a picture of Muslims in India living as second-class citizens.
The author of the CNN article about India says about the Ayodhya verdict, “The ruling on the Ayodhya site was seen as a blow to Muslims. It also came at a time when Muslims increasingly see themselves as second-class citizens in the predominantly Hindu country.” The author states further, “In August, the Indian government stripped the majority-Muslim state of Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomous status, essentially giving New Delhi more control over the region’s affairs.”
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She adds, “That same month, nearly two million people in India’s northeast Assam state were left off a controversial new National Register of Citizens, which critics feared could be used to justify religious discrimination against Muslims in the state. All of this comes under the shadow of the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a self-proclaimed Hindu nationalist who has spoken out repeatedly against India’s secularism.”
This is a deliberate attempt to slander India at the international scene. We can only be grateful for the fact that CNN is not taken seriously even in the USA, let alone in India. And it is precisely this adamant refusal of the alleged news network to ignore facts at the altar of a preferred narrative that has destroyed CNN’s credibility.
The Ayodhya verdict was delivered by the Supreme Court of India, the conclusion wasn’t decided by the Narendra Modi led government. Will liberals now say the Supreme Court has fallen victim to Hindu Nationalism as well? Of course they will, it’s because they respect institutions only when they peddle the liberal agenda. Regarding the abrogation of Article 370, will the USA tolerate a law that provides for an Islamic state within its territory? All of us know the answer to that question and yet, India is expected to tolerate the same. Why?
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With regards to the NRC, it is the duty of every country to ensure that illegal immigrants do not leech off the limited resources that are available to it. And the exercise is designed to suit that purpose. The political establishment of the USA may have different ideas but it is the moral imperative of every government to prioritize its own citizens over illegal immigrants. The political establishment of both parties in the USA do not believe it to be so. That is why Donald Trump got elected in the first place.
One of the reasons why the USA is so divided today is because of immigration. The Democrats support it because it increases their vote-bank. The Republican establishment supports it because it benefits businesses. But the average American is sick of it and does not want such a thing. That is why they voted Donald Trump to power, someone who promised to fix it but has been unable to due to resolute resistance from the political establishment.
India has different priorities than the United States and we still live in a country where Democracy at least functions the way it is supposed to. Narendra Modi promised to abrogate Article 370, he promised to enforce the NRC in Assam, his rise to power is defined by the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement and he has never shied away from it. Indians elected Narendra Modi to power on the basis of these promises and he delivered on these fronts. This is how a Democracy is supposed to work, not like the USA where an overwhelming majority of Americans do not want illegal immigration but the political establishment of both parties conspire to force it upon them.
Then, the author of the CNN article argues that the future looked bleak for India because of the looming prospect of a Uniform Civil Code. She says, “Currently, India has separate marriage, property and adoption rules for people from different religions — but code would wipe those out. That particularly worries the Muslim community, as it could mean that Sharia law no longer governs their marriage, inheritance and succession rights.” And adds, “Analysts worry that India’s attempt at marrying a pluralist society with a secularist system of governance will continue to be chipped away at as the ideas proposed by Hindu nationalists gain mainstream credence and support from citizens and public institutions.”
It is a ridiculous assertion that could only find credence in the minds of Western liberals. Does Sharia have any place in American society? Would their favourite president Barack Obama propose Sharia law in America? Did Muslims live in great fear in the USA during Barack Obama’s tenure as President? They did not have Sharia law governing United States jurisprudence back then and they do not have it now either. If any party or politician would propose Sharia law in the United States, they would be hammered by everyone. Why is it then that Western liberals expect India to tolerate Sharia law in our country? Is the USA a less pluralistic country because it doesn’t have Sharia in its society?
Amusingly enough, the enforcement of a Uniform Civil Code is a pretty liberal idea and every liberal ought to celebrate the abolition of Sharia law. And yet, we see continuously that its liberals who explicitly support Sharia. It only goes on to show that liberals love Islam more than liberalism and liberalism ends where Muslim feelings begin.
The article also uses Asaduddin Owaisi, a rabid hatemonger whose own brother wanted the Police to be lifted for 15 minutes so that Muslims could show Hindus who were the boss, to further its own charade. It also uses various other ’eminent intellectuals’ to further the notion that India is headed towards dark times.
Apparently, in order to uphold Secularism and liberal values, CNN believes India has to tolerate an Islamic state within its territory, it has to tolerate Shariah law and it has to tolerate illegal immigration as well. Does this look anything like Secularism or Liberalism? If it does, India wants none of it and it voted for a party that wants none of it either. And the political party is respecting the voters’ wishes. That is how Democracy is supposed to function.
