Skip to main content

London School of Economics scholar predicts strong protests against Modi during his maiden visit to Britain next week

By Our Representative
In a clear signal that things may not be smooth for Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Britain next week, well-known expert Dr Kalpana Wilson, a visiting fellow in gender theory, globalization and development at the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE), has noted in a blog on the LSE website that several “campaign organisations, academics and individuals are coming together to protest increasing violence against minority groups” in India.
Calling Modi’s decision to address at Wembley stadium in London during his visit “an ‘Olympic style’ extravaganza”, Wilson said, “UK-based South Asian community groups, human rights organisations, women’s organisations, environmental campaigns, academic and student groups and individuals” have organized themselves under the slogan “#ModiNotWelcome to protest the increase in violence against minority groups under the current government.”
“They are also raising questions about Modi’s role in the 2002 Gujarat riots while he was Chief Minister and highlighting the current policies of his government which they believe are leading to mass dispossession, loss of livelihoods and the undermining of democratic rights”, Wilson added. The LSE has described her views “personal” not those of the institute.
Recalling how in recent months there have seen “a number of incidents of violence against Muslims, Christians and Dalits by Hindu right-wing organisations in India”, Wilson said, “Perhaps the most widely reported was the murder of 52 year old Mohammed Akhlaq by a mob of around 200 Hindu young men mobilised by a local organisation, the Samadhan Sena (Solution Army) on the pretext of accusations of eating beef.”
“This was followed by a spate of similar incidents in different parts of the country. Other high profile incidents include the case of two young children, Vaibhav, aged 3 and 9 month-old Divya, of a Dalit family who died in an arson attack in Haryana, and the murders of rationalist writers MM Kalburgi and Govind Pansare”, she said.
Noting that these “disturbing trends” are not restricted to India, Wilson said, “The Hindu Right has a network of organisations across the UK. The most significant of these is the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) which is the British wing of India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS, a paramilitary organisation formed in the 1920s of which Modi is a former full-time worker.
Disputing HSS’ claim of being a “charitable” organization with “cultural aims”, Wilson said, “The HSS UK is currently being investigated by the British Charity Commission for hate speech against Muslims and Christians. After the Gujarat pogroms of 2002 an investigation by Awaaz suggested HSS and its charity wing Sewa International had been channelling funds to organisations directly involved in carrying out the violence.”
Wilson said, while the UK Welcomes Modi campaign, backed by long term UK-based associates of Modi, Manoj Ladwa, seeks to demonstrate support for the Prime Minister among the 1.6 million-strong Indian community in Britain, “but increasing numbers of people are disturbed by the signs of deepening intolerance in India under Modi.”
“This is reflected in the wide range of dissenting activities which have been taking place in the UK recent weeks. Ahead of Modi’s visit, all the major South Asian and BME women’s organisations in the UK and more than 20 academics concerned with gender violence have written an open letter to Modi drawing attention to ‘the hate crimes, patriarchal violence and misogyny perpetrated by the RSS and its affiliated organizations’,” said Wilson.
She added, “Faculty, students and alumni of Cambridge have written to the vice-chancellor urging him not to host Modi in a planned address to the Senate, noting that the invitation comes at a time when ‘prominent Indian writers and intellectuals are returning their state honours in protest against the ongoing assault on civil liberties and academic freedom under Modi’s government’.”
“Meanwhile”, Wison said, “a petition addressed to Labour MPs Keith Vaz, Steve Pound, and Virendra Sharma, who announced that they would be donating their pay rises for November to help fund the Wembley extravaganza, has been launched. It asks them to reconsider their decision and instead donate the money to survivors of communal violence in India or alternatively to foodbank charities in the UK.”
Wilson further said, “In the run-up to Modi’s arrival, a Reclaim Diwali event will take place on Friday 6 November featuring a range of international artists. The organisers describe it as a ‘secular celebration of shared cultures, blurred boundaries, daring to dream and organising against oppression’ and funds raised will go the survivors of the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.” And on November 10, “a number of London-based student organisations are jointly calling an event at SOAS called ‘We Need to Talk About Modi’.”
“This will culminate in a day of protest at Downing Street and Parliament Square on November 12, which thousands of people are expected to attend from across the country”, Wilson said, adding, this would happen when British Prime Minister David Cameron “is eager to roll out the red carpet for Modi and promote the interests of British corporates.”

Comments

TRENDING

'Draconian' Kerala health law follows WHO diktat: Govt readies to take harsh measures

By Dr Maya Valecha*  The Governor of Kerala has signed the Kerala Public Health Bill, which essentially reverses the people’s campaign in healthcare services in Kerala for decentralisation. The campaign had led to relinquishing of state powers in 1996, resulting in improvement of health parameters in Kerala. Instead, now, enforcement of law through the exercise of power, fines, etc., and the implementation of protocol during the pandemic, are considered of prime importance.

Reject WHO's 'draconian' amendments on pandemic: Citizens to Union Health Minister

By Our Representative  Several concerned Indian citizens have written to the Union Health Minister to reject amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted during the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA75) in May 2022, apprehending this will make the signatories surrender their autonomy to the “unelected, unaccountable and the whimsical WHO in case of any future ‘pandemics’.”

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. 

Bihar rural women entrepreneurs witness 50% surge in awareness about renewal energy

By Mignonne Dsouza*  An endline survey conducted under the Bolega Bihar initiative revealed a significant increase in awareness of renewable energy among women, rising from 25% to 76% in Nalanda and Gaya. Renu Kumari, a 34-year-old entrepreneur from Nalanda, Bihar, operates a village eatery that serves as the primary source of income for her family, including her husband and five children. However, a significant portion of her profits was being directed toward covering monthly electricity expenses that usually reach Rs 2,000. 

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.

Work with Rajasthan's camel herders: German scientist wins World Cookbook Award 2023

By Rosamma Thomas*  Gourmand World Cookbook Awards are the only awards for international food culture. This year, German scientist  Ilse Kohler Rollefson , founder of Camel Charisma, the first of India’s camel dairies, in Pali district of Rajasthan, won the award for her work with camel herders in Rajasthan, and for preparing for the UN International Year of Camelids, 2024. 

Why is electricity tariff going up in India? Who is the beneficiary? A random reflection

By Thomas Franco*  Union Ministry of Power has used its power under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 to force States to import coal which has led to an increase in the cost of electricity production and every consumer is paying a higher tariff. In India, almost everybody from farmers to MSMEs are consumers of electricity.

'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.

'Pro-corporate agenda': Odisha crackdown on tribal slum dwellers fighting for land rights

By Our Representative  The civil rights network Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), even as condemning what it calls “brutal repression” on the Adivasi slum dwellers of Salia Sahi in Bhubaneshwar by the Odisha police, has said that the crackdown was against the tribals struggling for land rights in order to “stop the attempts at land-grab by the government.”

Deplorable, influential sections 'still believe' burning coal is essential indefinitely

By Shankar Sharma*  Some of the recent developments in the power sector, as some  recent news items show, should be of massive relevance/ interest to our policy makers in India. Assuming that our authorities are officially mandated/ committed to maintain a holistic approach to the overall welfare of all sections of our society, including the flora, fauna and general environment, these developments/ experiences from different parts of the globe should be clear pointers to the sustainable energy pathways for our people.