______________________ Apr 11th, 2015 ___
Narendra Modi has been on a world tour promoting India as a paradise for global capitalism; with free trade agreements, nuclear deals, and auctioning-off of the country’s land, minerals, and cheap labour. Called “the next Ronald Reagan for the world” by U.S. Republicans, he will be visiting Canada from April 14th to 16th with stops in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. The corporate media, Harper government, and elite sections of the Indian diaspora are all rolling out the red carpet. But any glance at this man’s history, and his actions since taking office, prove that he should be opposed by all supporters of social justice, equality and human rights. The Toronto chapter of the International Campaign Against the War on the People of India (ICAWPI) calls on all progressive individuals and organizations to join us on April 15th to stand in solidarity with the poor majority of Indian society, and to show Modi that his extremist right-wing agenda is not welcome here!
As a child Modi joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a militant fascist organization whose founders admired Hitler and Mussolini. It upholds a twisted ideology of Hindu and Brahman supremacy known as Hindutva; which states that religious minorities in India must assimilate or be stripped of all their rights. RSS members have regularly enforced this belief with violence, not only against Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians, but also against lower caste Hindus like the so-called “untouchables” or Dalits. Modi rose up through the RSS ranks, becoming a regional organizer and eventually being assigned to the political wing of Hindutva—the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He served as Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001-2014, and was the darling of local and global capitalists, responsible for billions in development and foreign investment while poverty increased and conditions of life for peasants and Adivasis (tribals) got worse. His BJP government also presided over one of the worst massacres since Indian independence, where over 2,000 Muslims were raped, burned, and hacked to death by Hindu nationalist mobs given the green light, and in many cases directly assisted by police and government officials. On the eve of the ‘riots’—which experts say meets the legal definition of genocide—Modi was quoted as telling a top police officer to “let Hindus vent their anger” and “teach a lesson” to Muslims. Modi’s role in the 2002 atrocities led to widespread international condemnation, including travel bans by Britain, the European Union, and the U.S. These were lifted as he rose in prominence in Indian politics, and as more foreign companies sought investment opportunities in Gujarat.
In May 2014 Modi led the BJP to a landslide victory in the general election and became India’s 14th Prime Minister. Since coming into office, his regime has continued and expanded his predecessor’s legacy of violence, corruption, and war against the most marginalized segments of India’s population. A third of his cabinet faces criminal charges; including rape, kidnapping, attempted murder, and inciting riots/communal disharmony. Modi is pushing forward laws like the Land Acquisition Bill, which will make it easier for companies to steal land from poor peasants and tribals. He is ramping up the brutal military occupation of Kashmir, and pouring troops and weapons into Operation Green Hunt—which since 2009 has seen thousands of Adivasi civilians and activists murdered, tortured, and falsely imprisoned under the guise of crushing the ever growing Maoist rebellion. Human rights organizations like Amnesty International have noted the increase in communal violence (i.e. attacks on Muslims, Christians, and Dalits) since Modi took office, and the “expanded large-scale surveillance of telephone and internet communications.” People are now being arrested for simply criticizing the Prime Minister under backwards defamation and sedition laws. Documentaries like ‘India’s Daughter’—the BBC documentary on the Mumbai gang-rape—are banned, while the RSS and others are allowed to promote hatred and division throughout the country.
Meanwhile, India is now being presented as the place for international business and investment. In September Modi launched the ‘Make in India’ campaign; promising to turn the country into a land of sweatshops, dams, special investment regions (free trade zones), and industrial corridors. There is no doubt this ‘development’ will mean billions in profit for a few both inside and outside India’s borders, but it will be on the backs and the corpses of tribals, Dalits, peasants, and slum dwellers. None of this is reflected in the coverage of Modi’s visit, and his trip is set to pass without any exposure of the crimes against humanity taking place on his watch. Let’s show Modi and Harper that we don’t buy the myth of “the world’s largest democracy”! Let’s show the thousands of Indian activists risking death and prison every day that they aren’t alone in their struggle!
Down with Modi’s fascist agenda!
No to corporate development on the backs of the poor!
Stop the war on the people of India!
********************************************
RALLY OUTSIDE MODI’S PUBLIC RECEPTION:
WEDNESDAY APRIL 15TH
STARTS AT 6PM
RICOH COLISEUM ENTRANCE (45 MANITOBA DRIVE)
EXHIBITION PLACE, TORONTO
647 984-3222 FOR DIRECTIONS
********************************************
No comments:
Post a Comment