The World is turning against Modi government

The World is turning against Modi Government

Syed Ali Mujtaba

The four largest blocs within the 751-member European Parliament (EP) have tabled Six Resolutions related to India’s Citizenship Amendment Act and India’s Kashmir situation. 

The different groups that have tabled the resolutions are working overtime for a consensus draft text and are confident to gain majority votes and then hand over to the European Commission (EC) for its consideration.

The Strasbourg-based EP is an independent body and one of the seven institutions of the EU. It is made up of 751 members that are elected by the 28 member states of the enlarged European Union (EU).

The EU’s ultimate decision-making body is the EC which comprises the heads of state or government of all EU countries and the EP resolutions are not legally binding on the country concerned because in matters related to foreign policy and security, EC is the supreme authority.

Notwithstanding, if any such resolutions of EP go through the motion of EC and any action taken in this regard can make a huge impact. It can be a matter of shame for India as a nation and will reflect upon the government of the day sitting in judgment to guide the destiny of this great nation.

The current move of the members of EP comes weeks after the Indian government conducted a guided tour of 23 members, mostly right wing of the European Parliament. India also took a group of 15 envoys to Jammu and Kashmir earlier in January.

Even though the group included US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster, envoys from European countries declined to participate as they are keen on making a “surprise visit” rather than a planned one to assess the “real situation” in Kashmir.

All these developments have put the current government in spot and have engaged its high level officials to do the damage control exercise. Indian ‘Babus’ have issued statement condemning members of European Parliament and said it is meddling into the India’s internal affairs.

The officials issued statement saying actions taken by the EP is “not legally binding” on India and the onus is on EC to accept its resolutions or not.

India has activated diplomatic channels to ensure the EC does not take any action against India and the resolutions gets nib in the bud.

Meanwhile, the resolutions tabled before the European Parliament has termed India’s Citizen Amendment Act as “discriminatory”. They also said the CAA “does not make reference to the other countries that border India, particularly Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It excludes minorities such as the Sri Lankan Tamils, who currently form the largest refugee group in India, and the Rohingya from Myanmar, who, according to the UN, are the world’s most persecuted minority”.

Most of the resolutions taken up by the members of the EP are scathingly critical of the CAA, while some also criticize the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and about the life and liberty of the people in Jammu and Kashmir.

The resolution by the EPP Group, the largest group with 182 EP members say, the law could have negative consequences for “India’s international image and internal stability”.

The most critical is the resolution moved by the S&D Group, the second largest group with 154 EP members which states that the CAA has the potential to “create the largest statelessness crisis in the world”.

These resolutions can increase pressure on the Indian government at a time when the country is grappling with strong criticism from Western powers, including key European Union (EU) members such as Germany. Germany has been critical of India handling of the situation in Kashmir, the citizenship law, and the NRC implementation in Assam.

The EU has already expressed concern about the situation in Kashmir. A visit to the region by EU countries envoys is currently being discussed by the external affairs ministry and the EU mission in New Delhi.

The anti CAA resolutions are coming up at EP a crucial time when the Indian Prime Minister is expected to visit Brussels for the India-EU Summit on March 13. His itinerary has made one of the groups of member of EP to suggest in one of its resolution that the CAA matter should be raised during Indian Prime Minister’s visit to EU Summit.

The EU is India’s largest trading partner, accounting for 92 billion euros worth of trade in goods in 2018 or 12.9% of total Indian trade. It is also a key source of inward FDI, which was worth 5 billion euros in 2014.  The EU is also the leading destination for Indian exports, almost 18% of the total value.

International worry of India is not going to end with pacifying the EC or European Union. In April 2020, Organization of Islamic Conference is holding a special meeting in Islamabad on the situation in Kashmir, India’s citizenship laws as it all affects the Muslims in India.

The OIC comprises of 57 Muslim countries and is believed to be the protector of ‘UMMA’ united by all those who swears by One Allah, One Prophet One Holy Book. 

At the OIC meet it is for sure the issue of an Indian Security staff showing his contempt for Islam maybe raised as he is heard telling a waling Muslim “Now call your Allah to protect you.”

It is expected that at the OIC meet the Indian argument of “internal matter” may be countered as OIC is duty bound to protect persecuted Muslims anywhere in the world it is a matter of Islamic ‘Umma’. 

Well we may like it or not, the action of the current government has set the cat among the pigeon. Its actions like abrogation of article 370 in Muslim majority state of Jammu and Kashmir, one sided judgment on the Babari Masjid dispute, the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National People’s Register, and the National Citizen Register all has stirred a hornet’s nest.

The international community is incensed by the ‘Third Reich’, like rule in India operational since 2014.  The debate is on how these developments are going to wind up. Some say, it will fold up with Tienanmen Square kind of finish happening at many places in the country. Others say, India will see an era of Apartheid where countries will put pressure on India roll back its discriminatory laws. Other say, India may face sanctions from US, EU and OIC. Further on this some say, there will be an internal emergency imposed on the country soon.

Whatever may be the outcome of this unfolding drama, one thing that is positive about it is the way common Indian are united for such a cause.  This is unprecedented since the days of India’s freedom struggle. This is a moment of reckoning in India and it’s heartwarming.

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com