Nirlajjam Sadaa Sukh- the shameless are always happy
By abhay mokashi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a rare specimen. He is courageous and thick-skinned to put up a straight face amidst insults and humiliation on foreign soil.
No Prime Minister of India has been treated so shabbily and told to protect democracy, the way Modi has been on his recent trip to the United States of America. Even a head of a government of a banana republic would not have been treated better.
There was neither a senior member of the US government to receive Modi nor was the ceremonial red carpet laid for him as his set his foot on American soil at the Andrews Airbase in Maryland. This was a clear signal that he was not an important person for the current administration in the United States.
There was probably a light drizzle when he landed in the US, as some of the officials, mostly Indian, who were at the airport had their umbrellas open. As he came out of the aircraft, Modi opened his umbrella and probably noticed that there was no one to hold the umbrella over his head as he came down the steps. Realising that it would be difficult for him to greet the waiting officials, while holding the umbrella, he handed over the umbrella to an official.
This incident needs to be juxtaposed with the way Rajiv Gandhi was treated when he went to the US as the Prime Minister of India. As he walked down to his car with President Ronald Regan, there was a light shower. A lady soon came with an umbrella and handed it over to President Regan, who held it for Gandhi and escorted him to his car, holding the umbrella over Rajiv Gandhi’s head till he entered the car.
Outside the Andrews Airbase were present a handful of people of Indian origin, dominated by women screaming ‘Modi, Modi’ in ecstasy, on seeing him and wanting to shake hands with him.
Maybe as an afterthought, the American administration seems to have decided to accord a red-carpet welcome for Modi, as he arrived in New York the next day. The red carpet looked more like a doormat, given its size. Laying of such a red carpet is a bigger insult, than not laying the red carpet for the head of the government of the largest democracy in the world, even if the democracy is now being trampled.
The way a naughty child is treated in school, with an initial scolding by the class teacher or the vice-principal and then a dressing down by the principal, Modi was treated by two most powerful persons in the United States and also in the world. First Vice President Kamala Harris gave a talk on the need to protect democracy in both the countries, which was a clear message to Modi that democracy and democratic norms are wanting in India. Modi sheepishly heard all that Harris had to say.
She mentioned that it is important for both the countries to respect the democratic norms and institutions. The US democracy is not under threat, so the message was clearly for Modi. She also told him that it is necessary to strength democracies in the best interests of our people.
Modi had a prepared reply, which he read out, but he could have deviated from it and responded to what Vice President Kamala Harris had to say on democracy. Modi has been lashing out at the opposition in India, when they protest that democratic values are being compromised in the country. A self-respecting leader would have at least responded to the comment by Harris, if not protest over it. But Modi displayed his natural behaviour of diverting the issues, something he does on home ground.
After Harris, it was President Joe Biden’s turn to speak about the values given by Mahatma Gandhi to the world and how even Americans respect Gandhi. To this Modi sheepishly narrated how India would be celebrating Gandhiji’s birth anniversary.
Modi met President Biden at the White House, where he was received by an US official. She showed him the way to write in the visitor’s book and later to where President was waiting for Modi. The President did not find it necessary to receive Modi at the entrance of the White House or to see him off. The same official escorted Modi to his car.
Even at the United Nations General Assembly the narcissist Modi started his speech by referring to his alleged tea selling at the railway station as a child and how he was the longest serving Chief Minister of Gujarat. He also mentioned Deendayal Upadhyay in his speech; all these are not issues to be mentioned in an address to the UN General Assembly. Anyway, leaders speak according to their calibre.
For the Bharatiya Janata Party and Modi followers, it was a great trip, as they conveniently ignored all the insults showered on India’s Prime Minister, which in effect is India’s insult. Had a non-BJP Prime Minister been treated like this, the BJP would have been screaming itself hoarse, instead now they shouted slogans welcoming Modi back in India. Respect cannot be demanded, it has to be commanded.
On second thoughts, the treatment meted out to him seems to have had some effect on Modi, since he was not as gay as he normally is.