Modi’s
Operandi: American Business & Genocide Linked
Again?
By Moorthy Muthuswamy,
PhD
New York
I would like to give a Hindu view
on Narendra Modi’s visa revoke and related
issues to the one given by a Muslim from India,
Dr. Muqtedar Khan (Modi’s Operandi: American
Business and Genocide Linked Again? March 26).
First of all, Dr. Khan has portrayed a one-sided
view and without context. The riots occurred under
Mr. Modi’s watch in the aftermath of gruesome
burning of a training coach full of Hindu children,
women and men pilgrims by a Muslim mob in Godhra,
Gujarat. Even in the riots at least 20% of those
killed were Hindus -- in the police firing conducted
to quell the rioters.
From Muslim majority Indian Kashmir valley over
300,000 Hindus have been displaced and scores
killed. A study conducted in 1970s showed that
more than 95% of riots in India were started after
Friday prayers by Muslims. Hence, the Godhra burning
and the pattern of acts of violent acts by fundamentalists
have built up great deal of anger and resentment
in the minds of Hindu majority. All of the above
had created a perception among Hindus that the
governments will not be able to protect them and
that they must act. The bottom line is communities
should defend themselves from attack -- be it
Muslims or non-Muslims.
Dr. Khan has failed to address the root cause
- which is, how to help Muslim communities in
South Asia avoid a confrontational path and work
with other communities for mutual progress. But
continuing to vilify Hindu community leaders and
to apologize or ignore Muslim violence is not
helpful.
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