Skip to main content

US House Resolution supporting visa denial to Narendra Modi may never be taken up, says NYT

By Our Representative
A former campaigner for denying visa to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, who worked with the Amnesty International and in the United States Congress, has said the recent bipartisan Congressional resolution (click HERE) introduced in the House of Representatives calling on the US government to continue the policy of denying him visa may not go through. In a New York Times (NYT) article, Zahir Janmohamed says,  House Resolution 417, which urges the United States government to continue to deny Modi a visa, with 28 co-sponsors, majority of whom are Democrats, “is not expected to pass, partly because India is not seen as a priority in American foreign policy at the moment.”
Janmohamed, who is introduced as “from the United States and living in Ahmedabad”, writes in the India Ink column of the top US daily’s American edition, “When I conducted research in Washington this summer, many House and Senate aides said they had no idea who Modi was. Those who did know told me they would make up their minds about Mr. Modi when next year’s elections in India are decided.” He adds, “Despite his rising profile in India, there is still little interest in Modi in Washington. This may be a harder pill for Modi to swallow: It is not that he is hated or loved in Washington; he is just not mentioned much.”
At the same time, the analyst, who claims to have access to inside information about the policy which the US government may apply on Modi if he comes to power, believes that there will be an uneasy relationship with him. Referring to a meeting with a person who was appointed to a senior position by President Barrack Obama, Janmahomed quotes the official as telling him, “I know it is a cliché, but our talking point on India has always been, ‘India and the US are both democracies that share the same values’. You cannot really apply that statement to Modi. If Modi becomes prime minister, I guess we will have to come up with something new to say.”
Headlined “U.S. Evangelicals, Indian Expats Teamed Up to Push Through Modi Visa Ban”, the article says, among the chief campaigners for denying Modi visa was also the person who sponsored the International Religious Freedom Act, Frank Wolf, a Republican from Virginia, in March 1998. The clause that proved “fateful” was Section 604: “Any alien who, while serving as a foreign official, was responsible or directly carried out, at any time during the preceding 24-month period, particularly severe violations of religious freedom, as defined in Section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act 1998 and the spouse and children, if any, are inadmissible.”
While Wolf remains in the forefront to oppose visa to Modi, the ex-campaigner believes that the mood in the US towards Modi is changing. And for this, Janmohamed quotes Joseph Grieboski, the founder of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy in Virginia. Grieboski tells him, “When the US denied  Modi a visa in 2005, it was like the US denying a visa to the governor of Iowa — no offense to Gujarat… The US did not see it as a big deal. And back then, it seemed clear to everyone in this town that Modi was involved in the riots. Now the picture is fuzzier, and many are intrigued by Modi.”
Things have changed so much that a Indian-born retired health professional based in Berkeley, California,Raju Rajagopal,  who was among the top persons who campaigned to deny Modi a visa and was part of a group which came to Gujarat following the 2002 riots along with Indian-born Washington-based evangelical Christian named John Prabhudoss and two Republican Congressmen, is now frustrated that his efforts are not succeeding. “Despite the success in denying Modi a US visa, disillusionment quickly set in for  Rajagopal. “The frustrating thing was that the visa denial was probably the only thing really dealt a blow to Modi,” Rajagopal is quoted as saying. “I just wish it had been brought about by a large, secular coalition. I am not so sure that is true. The thing that made a difference was the right-wing evangelical support.”
No doubt, the American government’s stance on Modi remains the same, as seen in the statement two days after Modi was selected on Sept. 13, 2013 as the official prime ministerial candidate to represent the BJP. “There’s no change in our longstanding visa policy,” said Marie Harf, a State Department spokeswoman.  “He is welcome to apply for a visa and await a review like any other applicant.” Yet, the fact is, insists Janmohamed, “These days, religious freedom is no longer a foreign policy priority in Washington, and the strong evangelical Christian opposition to Modi has faded.”
“While Republicans led the opposition to Modi’s visa in 2005, there are now Republicans among Modi’s strongest supporters. When the Tea Party candidate Joe Walsh campaigned in Illinois for Congress, he promised he would push the United States to grant Modi a visa. (He lost to his Democratic challenger, Tammy Duckworth.)”, Janmohamed says, adding, “In March, three Republicans members of Congress visited Modi in Gujarat, including Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state. The trip for  Rodgers and her husband cost $15,000 and was paid for by the co-founder of the National Indian American Public Policy Institute, Shalli Kumar, a supporter of Modi based in Chicago.”

Comments

TRENDING

'Very low rung in quality ladder': Critique of ICMR study on 'sudden deaths' post-2021

By Bhaskaran Raman*  Since about mid-2021, a new phenomenon of extreme concern has been observed throughout the world, including India : unexplained sudden deaths of seemingly healthy and active people, especially youngsters. In the recently concluded Navratri garba celebrations, an unprecedented number of young persons succumbed to heart attack deaths. After a long delay, ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) has finally has published a case-control study on sudden deaths among Indians of age 18-45.

SC 'appears to foster' culture of secrecy, does not seek electoral bond details from SBI

By Rosamma Thomas*  In its order of November 2, 2023 on the case of Association for Democratic Reforms vs Union of India contesting constitutional validity of electoral bonds, the Supreme Court directed all political parties to give particulars of the bonds received by them in sealed covers to the Election Commission of India. SC sought that information be updated until September 2023. 

How national chauvinism 'overtook' sport despite cricketing glory of World Cup 2023

By Harsh Thakor*  The recently-concluded cricket World Cup was a testimony or manifestation of the thrills, intensity, twists and turns in sport and evolution of the game of cricket. It carried on the trend of the World Cups of yesteryears. Possibly, this was the best ever Indian team in a World Cup, and arguably amongst the best ever to contest a World Cup.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Only 12% of schools RTE compliant: Whither 6% budgetary allocation for education?

By Ambarish Rai* Despite Indian state’s commitment of 6% GDP on education, the Finance Minister completely ignored right to education for children and strengthening implementation of RTE Act which makes education a fundamental right in her budget speech . The Right to Education (RTE) Forum, which is a collective of different stakeholders in education, condemns this neglect of a legal entitlement, which is unconstitutional and demand for overall increase in the budget to ensure improvement in learning outcomes and overall enhancement of quality education.

Savarkar in Ahmedabad 'declared' two-nation theory in 1937, Jinnah followed 3 years later

By Our Representative One of the top freedom fighters whom BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi revere the most, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, was also a great supporter of the two nation theory for India, one for Hindus another for Muslims, claims a new expose on the man who is also known to be the original proponent of the concept of Hindutva.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

'Ambiguous policy': India late in advocating EVs as energy storage in national grid

By Shankar Sharma*  This is regarding the points raised by the Chief Electricity Authority’s (CEA's) advocacy for usage of electrical vehicles (EVs) as energy storage technology, and few associated issues . An objective reading of what he states should reiterate the enormously growing importance of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in our need to transition to a net-zero carbon scenario for the country.

Union Health Ministry, FSSAI 'fail to respond' to NHRC directive on packaged food

By Our Representative  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed deep concern over the adverse health effects caused by packaged foods high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats. Recognizing it as a violation of the Right to Life and Right to Health of Indian citizens, the quasi-judicial body called for a response from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding its selection of front-of-pack labels aimed at providing consumers with information to make healthier choices.