Here is a reply sent to Simon another Guardiian journalist. Copied also to Indian High Commission and to Hannah!
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/13/narendra-modi-india-elections
Not to be outdone by Hannah Ellis Petersen, Simon Tisdall worries deeply of what will happen to India under Modi and a Hindu nationalist agenda that he will implement. He worries about the consequences of this week’s watershed elections in India. It is always a watershed moment for India. At stake he says is the credibility of Indian democracy and (hush. hush, my words) the country’s future as a cohesive unitary state! So the world’s largest democracy is going to ballot, a carnival of freedom of expression and Simon Tisdall fears an apocalypse. Simon acknowledges that the world wants India’s attention. But enthuses Simon, the West wants a genuine democracy. Not an electoral autocracy. Now Simon wants to eat his cake and eat it. It can’t be as good as Gulab Jamun. The election results should be to his liking and the liking of the West otherwise India is a flawed democracy. Modi according to Simon has a cult following and his Hindu nationalist agenda as well as things like targeting the poor BBC which broadcast a biased and fake story on Mod is for Simon a bad omen. He darkly suggests that the South of India might break away. I wonder why. Does the South of India not have a Hindu majority also? I assure Simon that Modi is going to win the elections with a large majority, there will be a Hindu stamp on the country just as the UK has a Christian stamp on it. The UK even has Bishops in the House of Lords keeping an eye on proceedings. Regarding India sitting awkwardly on the fence regarding Ukraine it is the West which has egged on Ukraine to take on Russia. Ukraine meanwhile is being beaten to a pulp. Where is the Western
promise to defend Ukraine? Simon must know that the Western hegemony is a thing of the past. There are other kids on the block. Adjust or perish.
Nitin Mehta
15 April 2024
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