The United States will provide a warm welcome to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week. The White House said that the visit would reinforce the “warm bonds of family and friendship that connect Americans and Indians.”
As first-generation immigrants, we embody the ties of family and camaraderie. We were raised in an India where individuals of many religions often coexisted together. We commemorated our shared history in music, arts, food, cricket, and several other domains. Festivals like as Diwali and Eid served as opportunities for communal feasts and the exchange of confections.
As Indian Americans, we take pride in our achievements, which have significantly contributed to the rapprochement of our two democracies. We owe a debt of gratitude to India for providing us with a world-class education that enables us to compete on a global scale. Having endured decades of tumultuous ties between India and the United States, including the notorious “tilt” towards Pakistan during the Nixon-Kissinger administration, we appreciate that Washington now regards India as its foremost strategic partner.
The extraordinary reception of Modi in Washington is a moment of jubilation for many in the community. However, we are disinclined to rejoice, since the leader being lauded as a distinguished global figure is simultaneously overseeing the demise of the secular India we once revered, notwithstanding its several imperfections.
In under nine years, Modi has succeeded in instilling a perception among millions of Hindus that Muslims and Christians pose an existential danger, therefore dismantling longstanding friendships. The Bharatiya Janata Party and its supporters have persistently targeted minorities, receiving tacit encouragement from Modi. Currently, discussions that marginalise Muslims have grown commonplace in Hindu homes globally. The Indian American diaspora has grown significantly polarised, heavily influenced by the Modi administration.
During his visit to Washington, Modi is expected to articulate a vision of a robust and revitalised India. He may even propose the concept of India as a “vishwaguru” (global teacher). However, he is unlikely to disclose that his vision for India is already being implemented: a majoritarian and authoritarian “Hindu Rashtra” (a Hindu country), where non-Hindus may, at most, exist as second-class citizens.
