Showing posts with label Narendra Modi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Narendra Modi. Show all posts

Friday 25 November 2022

Constituent writes to Barry Gardiner expressing concern over BJP-RSS

This letter was written in a personal capacity by Dhruv Haria and shared with readers as his views.

Dear Barry Gardiner,


As your constituent I am writing to express my concerns about the violence that erupted between Hindu and Muslim communities in Leicester and Birmingham a few weeks ago and how it will affect communities of South Asian origin in Brent.


Your response to the reports on social media on September 24th about potential demonstrations outside Hindu temples was frankly irresponsible. There was no investigation on your part to determine whether there was in fact a real threat. An investigation by the authorities would have likely revealed that the post about protests outside Shree Sanatan Hindu Mandir was shared by an instagram account called “apnamuslims”. The name “apnamuslims” is incorrect usage of language and grammar in Urdu and calls into question its validity.


By commenting before an investigation you, therefore, helped to cause hysteria around communal violence within South Asian communities; bolstering false claims being made by Hindutva propagandists about violence being directed at Hindus by Muslims.


In Leicester, the police sent out messages to correct the record that claims of attacks on temples and Hindu women were false. This was not replicated in Brent by yourself or the police. These actions or inactions strengthened islamophobia amongst non-Muslims in our communities - leaving many Muslims to feel threatened and fearful of reprisal attacks by Hindutva mobs as witnessed in Leicester.


In view of this, I’m calling on you to commit to ending your relationship with the BJP-RSS nexus and the Indian state. In doing so you should publicly acknowledge how your actions have not only aided in fostering divisions within our communities but have also empowered a fascist movement with global reach.


Here I will list your actions and support given to Hindutva organisations and figures to jog your memory:


  • In 2001 you visited Gujarat & presented Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, with a cheque for £1m collected in the UK by Sewa International for earthquake relief. It was later revealed that some of this money found its way to the killers in the Gujarat 2002 genocide. Over 2000 people were killed in what can only be described as carefully orchestrated attacks on Muslims by Hindutva mobs. In fact Babu Bajrangi, convicted of mass murder in the Gujarat genocide on 2002, acknowledged on camera during a media sting operation that the pogrom would not have been possible without the support of Narendra Modi.


  • In 2008, you published on your own website, a testimonial by Narendra Modi that read “Gujarat has no greater friend in Britain than Barry Gardiner”.


  • In 2009, at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, you proclaimed: “Gujarat can lead the world”.


  • In 2013, you invited Narendra Modi to the UK, but were forced to back down after protests in the UK.


  • In 2016, you attended an event marking 50 years of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS UK). RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat was also in attendance and addressed the event.


  • In 2019, when the BJP government with Modi at its helm, won a second term after a first term which witnessed lynchings & rapes of Muslims, Christians & Dalits on an unprecedented scale, you congratulated Modi about India's 'diversity'.


  • In January 2020 you, alongside Conservative MP Bob Blackman, were awarded the Padma Shri. India's 4th highest civilian award.


As my MP, I hope you will commit to ending your relationship with the BJP-RSS nexus in order to fulfill your commitments as an MP to all your constituents of South Asian origin regardless of caste, class, religion or gender.


Yours Sincerely,


Dhruv Haria

Friday 13 November 2015

Police curtail protests at Modi Wembley Stadium event



The main protest against Narendra Modi's UK visit was on Thursday opposite 10 Downing Street but several groups were outside Wembley Stadium this afternoon to make their protest as thousands arrived for the Modi extravaganza.

The police seemed determined to keep demonstrators out of Cameron and Modi's earshot and moved one group on despite claims that by doing so they were limiting free speech and the right to protest.

As the video shows they were moved well away where few could witness their protest. It is a little like being assured of course that you have a right to protest and to be heard - these are 'British Values'- just step into this cupboard, close the door and protest to your heart's content.

Thursday 12 November 2015

Green Party: Modi visit likely to deepen wounds and heighten tensions

The Green Party of England and Wales has said that the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UK has the potential to deepen wounds within the South Asia population around the world and heighten tensions within India itself.

Tony Clarke, the Green Party’s spokesperson on International Affairs, said:
Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK comes at a time of heightened religious tensions and oppression in India, oppression which is seeking to silence those who only wish to promote peace and unity. It is important that when Modi seeks ‘statesman’ status abroad, particularly in the UK, that we open our mouths to challenge his government, not our arms to welcome him.

We need to demonstrate to Modi that we support the South East Asia human rights campaigners in voicing their displeasure at the crimes committed back in India.

India is currently witnessing its most dangerous tensions since independence. These tensions are born out of the nationalist BJP’s seeming intolerance to other faiths within India and to outside voices calling for an end to violence and a return to India’s pluralist traditions.

Modi’s arrival in the UK is the latest in a string of visits from international heads of state who are feted instead of challenged by our government.  Our Prime Minister should be challenging the abuse of human rights in places such as China, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt but his red carpet welcomes and obsession with trade deals are poor substitutes for the personal challenges and tough talking that are needed. The Green Party advocates an ethical foreign policy which is based on more than economic interests.

Sunday 8 November 2015

Fireworks expected for Modi's Wembley Rally




This Friday November 13th  2.30pm will see a highly unusual event at Wembley Stadium when Indian prime minister Narendra Modi will address a vast crowd.

Brent Council leader Cllr Muhammed Butt,  wrote on 'Muhammed's Blog'  'Two events to enjoy and two ways to do your bit'  on the Council website. One of the 'events to enjoy' was Modi's appearance. LINK:
Hot on the heels of welcoming record breaking crowds to Wembley as part of the Rugby World Cup, Brent is looking forward to more important visitors next month.

Wembley stadium will play host to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday 13 November. The event is set to welcome around 55,000 people from all over the UK in an invitation only event. It is expected to be the largest reception any foreign head of government has ever received in the UK.
Cllr Butt, or perhaps the Brent Council communications team, blithely ignore the controversial aspect of the visit, although perhaps they should have been aware of the rage evident outside Brent Civic Centre when Barry Gardiner invited Modi to the UK before Modi's election. LINK

Since Modi came to power there have been allegations that he has created division in the country. He has just conceded defeat in the Bihar election in which he took a major role.

CNN LINK reported:
A sitting Indian PM rarely gets too involved in state elections; Bihar's vote was unusual with Modi making numerous stops and dozens of speeches on the campaign trail.

The defeat represents a second loss of face for Modi's BJP this year, after it lost state elections in Delhi in February. Only last year the BJP swept to power in national elections, winning a rare majority of seats in the country's lower house of parliament.

Bihar's vote has been a particularly divisive election, with the BJP accusing its opponents of pandering to Muslim voters, and of not being reverent of cows, an animal Hindus consider holy.
The ugly back-and-forth contributed to a larger national debate about rising intolerance. In recent weeks, as many as four Muslims have been killed across the country on suspicion of either consuming or transporting beef.
This morning the BBC Radio 4 Sunday programme had a segment about the visit which summarises the issues:

Human rights activists are holding a demonstration 'Narendra Modi Not Welcome in London' in Downing Street  and then Parliament Square on Thursday November 12th at noon  followed by a meeting in the House of Commons.



The event, deliberately timed to coincide with the Hindi festival of Diwali,  is highly unusual in Britain and although not organised by Modi or the Indian Government is aimed at securing his position as a major world statesman. It follows similar events in the US and Australia.

This is how NDTV LINK reported the event:
A starry show is planned in London next week and no, Bollywood is not headed there. Two days after Diwali, the highlight of the huge reception planned for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the famous Wembley stadium will be a spectacular fireworks show after the PM's speech.

Bollywood will be represented at the hour-event only by singer Kanika Kapoor, who has sung popular songs like Chittiyaan Kaliyaan and Baby Doll, and a performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra will be another highlight.

But mostly, organisers of the Wembley event told NDTV, the programme will feature performances by Indian school students from across London. Hundreds of students have been preparing for the last two months.

"Groups of children of about 50 from each school have come together and have choreographed their acts specially for the Prime Minister's programme,'' said Vijai Chauthaiwale, who heads the BJP Overseas Cell.

Mr Chauthaiwale flies out tomorrow to London to oversee final preparations. At least 55,000 people and 400 media persons are expected to attend the show and UK Prime Minister David Cameron is likely to accompany PM Modi for it.

"The theme is the diaspora, their journey from places like Uganda to the UK,'' said Mr Chauthaiwala, who also helped with the last two community events abroad for the PM.

PM Modi leaves for UK on November 12, a day after Diwali. His first visit to the country since he took office is likely to include lunch with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace on the 13th, the same day as the reception at Wembley.

The Prime Minister has been hosted by the Indian community on most of his visits abroad, and organisers have vied to make these grander than the last.

The reception at the Madison Square Garden in New York last year has been held up by many as the gold standard so far. 18,000 people had attended that event. Almost the same number attended the reception for PM Modi at San Jose in America's Silicon Valley this year.
From: https://akodalikar.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/ukwelcomesmodi/

The over the top nature of the event, the sycophancy on display by some MPS, along with right-wing nationalism and near worship of the 'leader' leaves me with a sense of disquiet, especially after the Chinese and Egyptian visits.

Saturday 29 August 2015

'Global visionary' Narendra Modi likely to face demonstrations at Wembley Stadium extravaganza in November


When Brent North MP, Barry Gardiner, invited Narendra Modi of the BJP to the House of Commons in 2013 there were chaotic scenes LINK outside the Brent Civic Centre where Gardiner was holding his surgery. Gardiner was Chair of Labour Friends of India at the time. The visit did not take place.

Members of the South Asia Solidarity Group  were protesting over allegations that Modi was implicated in the Gujerat riots of 2002.

Now Prime Minister Modi is due to visit not the House of Commons but Wembley Stadium. Asian Lite Com reports: 
The Europe India Forum (EIF) said it will be hosting a reception in honour of Prime Minister Modi at Wembley Stadium on 13 November.

Over 70,000 people are expected to attend this special invitation only “Olympic style” event. It will be the largest reception any foreign head of government has ever received in the UK.
The BBC is currently running an 'India Season' with the Indian economy expected to overtake that of China in the near future. UK-India relations are at the top of the political agenda.

The EIF indulges in laudatory purple prose as it describes Narendra Modi's appearance at Wembley LINK:
With the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, due to visit the United Kingdom later this year, the largest Indian diaspora in the world is eagerly waiting in anticipation to deliver the loudest, greatest and most vibrant welcome he has seen outside of India. UKWelcomesModi will bring together individuals from the 1.6 million-strong Indian community in Britain- from all backgrounds, generations and regions – to celebrate two great nations with one glorious future. It is the Diwali event for the family this year- with a cultural showcase featuring the best of Indian and British talent; a landmark speech to be delivered by Prime Minister Modi and a grand finale featuring the biggest fireworks display in the whole country. 

UKWelcomesModi pays tribute to the deep ties between India and the UK, highlighting the formidable contribution made by members of the Indian diaspora in all walks of British life. Prime Minister Modi’s already iconic leadership has made waves across the world.

UKWelcomesModi is honoured to host this new global visionary who will give us a glimpse of India in years to come as it forges new paradigm of growth and success for not just Asia, but the rest of the world too. Organised by the Europe India Forum and in partnership with Indian cultural and community organisations across the country, the event is set to be the highlight of 2015. The Europe India Forum is a not for profit organisation promoting Europe-India relations for communities, by communities.
However Modi remains a controversial figure. South Asia Solidarity wrote on their website earlier this month: LINK
In the run up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK, four of the UK’s foremost Dalit organisations have written to Narendra Modi, expressing their dismay about the recent revelations by investigative news portal Cobrapost. Their letter notes that senior BJP politicians were involved in the massacres of some 144 Dalit men, women and children in Bihar and that Mr Modi has so far neither spoken out against  the self-confessed killers and their accomplices nor taken any action against them.
Spokespersons from the organisations urge Mr Modi to act because his lack of action on this issue gives the shocking  message that Dalit and oppressed caste lives do not matter in India’ . They urge him to act urgently to ensure that the self-confessed killers are brought to justice and that all the politicians, including senior BJP politicians, are dismissed from their posts, arrested and charged.
Asked if there would be demonstrations against Modi's visit to the UK  Amrit Wilson of South Asia Solidarity said:
We have not forgotten the Gujarat genocide, the Dalit massacres or the attacks on women. Every week, there are new cases of rape and murder with Modi's party and its associated Hindu supremacist organisations clearly implicated. But Modi is silent. He is coming to the UK to arrange the sale of even more of India's resources to British corporates. So yes, we will protest and we hope British anti-fascists will join us, because this is  fascism

Sunday 27 April 2014

Cameron abandons Tories to stand for UKIP in election

Barry Cameron, the recently announced UKIP candidate for Queensbury ward is a former Tory and member of the Tory's Barnhill Action Team.

His choice of ward is interesting because several Brent Conservatives are unhappy with the current Conservative Action Team in Queensbury who have been actively trying to build up support in the local elections by actvely backing Narendra Modi in the current Indian election.

Details HERE




Thursday 27 February 2014

Brent Queensbury Tory council candidates support alleged 'Butcher of Gujarat'

Gardiner's support makes headlines in India
In  September 2013, Brent North Labour MP, Barry Gardiner, faced the wrath of demonstrators at Brent
Civic Centre LINK, over his controversial invitation to Narendra Modi, to address the House of Commons. Modi has been accused of collusion in the massacre of Muslims in the Gujarat in 2002 when more than 1,500 died and many were made homeless. Modi was Gujarat Chief Minister at the time and Human Rights Watch found evidence of state complicity in the violence. Modi leader, of the nationalist BJP is tipped to win the forthcoming April election with many fearing that it will herald an era of extreme Hindu nationalism and religious intolerance.

Kanta Mistry of the Queensbury Action Team
The September  invitation was issued by both Labour Friends of India and Conservative Friends of India.  An unofficial Lab-Con 'Coalition for Modi' exists in Brent North with members of  the 'Queensbury Conservative Action Team' among those campaigning for Modi. The action team are likely to be the Conservative candidates for Queensbury ward in the May local election.

Their website LINK has the strapline 'Local Issues-Local Action-Local Conservatives' which seems a long way from the politics of India on which they have been campaigning

In the Independent today LINK commentator Sunny Hundal describes their activities in an article which gives valuable background on the BJP's links:
British and American Hindus are an important source of support, canvassing and even postal votes for the BJP in India. More recently, they have helped to normalise Modi's reputation after the fallout from 2002. On Sunday afternoon, about 20 Gujaratis gathered at the back of a small restaurant in north-west London to discuss how they could help Modi spread his message. I had been told about it by a friend and decided simply to turn up and observe.

At their regular "Modi Tea Club" events, they raise funds and recruit volunteers. One group member, who is planning to run as a local councillor, applauded the US decision to meet Modi and said British Gujaratis had played an instrumental part. "The pressure we put [on the government] in the UK makes a difference around the world," he says, to applause. Next month, their idol will speak to them and hundreds of other groups around the world via satellite to energise them before the elections


Last night the Monitoring Group and Awaaz organised a parliamentary briefing entitled 'Narendra Modi and the rise of "Hindu Fascism" '. Their publicity read:
 The “Parliamentary Briefing & Forum” will discuss the politics of Narendra Modi. Modi is the current Chief Minister of Gujarat and is the Prime Ministerial candidate for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance coalition for the upcoming 2014 national elections in India. He is also a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an organisation that is described as Hindu nationalist, supremacist and fascist by scholars, journalists and human rights commentators.  The meeting will examine his role as the Head of the State Government during the Gujarat 2002 communal violence and pillage against the Muslim minority population that led to over 1500 deaths, hundreds of rapes against women and displacement of over 200,000 of people from their homes. The forum will also analyse the claim the Modi represents a model for ‘”good governance”. His supporter’s have worked hard to brand Gujarat as a state of dynamic development and economic growth and prosperity, using the slogan "Vibrant Gujarat". The facts, however, reveal that Gujarat has a relatively poor record when it comes to human development, poverty alleviation, nutrition and education.
It is not clear where the Conservative Party nationally stands on these activities by some of their local candidates, and indeed what the local party thinks about this controversial politician.

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Gardiner admits opposition stopped Modi's visit

The India News today quotes Barry Gardiner MP on the Modi visit  following the protest at the Brent Civic Centre on Monday LINK
Following the protest, Gardiner said that Modi is unable to come to the UK in the next few weeks in the face of so much of opposition.
This is contrary to previous statements that merely said Modi was too busy to come at present.

The same report quotes Pete Firmin, Chair of Brent TradesUnion Council:
It is a terrible idea to invite Modi given his involvement in the massacres in Gujarat. Barry Gardiner should withdraw the invitation right away,



 

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Gardiner under fire on allegedly selective surgery appointments

Following the anti-Modi demonstration at Brent Civic Centre calling on Barry Gardiner to withdraw his invitation to the controversial Gujerat politician there was an ezxchange on Twitter about allegations that Gardiner had refused a surgery appointment to a woman with a Muslim name citing a full list but granted one to a man with an 'anglo' name who rang later. Gardiner produced a list of  people's names who had attended his surgery which included some of Muslim origin. The charge that he had tried to avoid meeting  potential critics continue to be made.

Here the 'man with the English name' writes a Guest Blog for Wembley Matters describing what happened:

As a constituent of Brent North I was recently approached with a request to try and book a session with my MP at his next Surgery. This came about as it seemed that a number of people involved in the campaign against inviting Narendra Modi to the UK had been unable to secure appointments until the end of the month at the earliest.

On 4th September 2013 I made an email request at 21:32hrs to the office of Barry Gardiner MP requesting a Surgery appointment the following Monday, 9th September. I was offered a slot with a caseworker, Ms. Sylvia To, via email the following morning pending the provision of some further details. The appointment was confirmed over the phone late the following afternoon.

I admit that in securing the appointment I used a little poetic license, describing the reason for my request as “issues surrounding the new Civic Centre” – which I euphemistically used to describe the planned demonstration.

Attending the demonstration prior to my 12:50hrs appointment I was introduced to one of the campaigners who had failed to secure a hearing, and updated on the day’s events; Barry Gardiner had issued a letter to the demonstrators after a brief discussion as he accessed the building, and people were being informed that Narendra Modi would not be taking up the invitation to visit the UK. The letter was a duplicate of an earlier missive to the Council of Indian Muslims (UK) dated 19th August, with an additional paragraph noting the right to demonstrate and the small number of complaints the MP had received regarding the invite. 

Demonstrators with access to the Gujarati media pointed out that Modi had not refused to visit the UK, but was currently unable to do so due to the pressure of his role in leading the Opposition electoral campaign for the 2014 elections.

Barry Gardiner MP left the Civic Centre prior to my appointment, citing a late request to attend a meeting in Westminster. My meeting with Ms. To lasted exactly seven minutes and fifty-nine seconds from “Hello” to “Goodbye”.

Greeting Ms. To, I thanked her for providing me with a session at such short notice; she explained that normally it would take three weeks to get an appointment, but it looked like I had probably secured a cancellation. I again expressed my appreciation, clearly indicating that I was here as part of the demonstration and had been concerned that I had been prioritised for a hearing due to my “Anglo” name as other demonstrators had been unable to secure appointments. Ms. To said that they had been told this earlier and there was a short discussion about telephone line issues three weeks previously which was cut short when it was made clear that appointments had been offered by the MP’s Office. (This indicates the lack of a priority-based waiting list if true).

Ms. To then expressed how “bemused” Barry Gardiner was to find the demonstration. He had only received five letters via e-mail disputing the invite issued to Modi – had I read the letter he had issued to the demonstrators? I said I had, and it was a cut ‘n’ paste of his previous letter to the Council of Indian Muslims, that sadly took no account of their recent reply which had been a point by point refutation of his statements. Ms. To reiterated that the MP’s Office had only received five emails opposing the invite to Modi; they had fifteen pro-Modi messages after the invite was publicised, and the administrative staff assigned issues importance according to public intervention. I pointed out that there was obviously some feeling in the Borough opposing the invite: I was advised to tell all those who felt this way that they should contact the MP’s Office in writing. I expressed an ironic disappointment that the issue was to be reduced to a “numbers game”, but agreed to pass the information on. Ms. To apologised that I was not able to discuss the issues directly with Barry Gardiner MP, as he would have been more able to respond to my issues. She then indicated she could fill in a form with my concerns to be passed on to the MP. I am now on record for raising the following points with my MP’s Office:

1.    Modi is a known human rights abuser and – according to the University of Chicago – a member of a proto-fascist party. He is refused access to the USA. In the UK there are immigration controls against giving access to those who abuse human rights or have extremist political views. Why are we issuing an invite to such a man?
2.    Why would Barry Gardiner MP ignore the wishes of his voters and place more importance on the Gujarati economy?
3.    As Chair of the “Labour Friends of India” it is sad that my MP seems to be so ill-informed on this subject; he needs to reply to the rebuttal of his previous comments – repeated in the letter to the demonstrators today - by the Council of Indian Muslims (UK) soon;
4.    The issue is not about the ability of Modi to attend meetings in the UK; it is about refusing to issue visas of this kind to those who are perceived as worthy of economic rehabilitation. The invitation should be formally withdrawn, as it is now merely suspended.


Monday 9 September 2013

Barry Gardiner faces wrath of anti-Modi demonstrators



A wet Monday morning is not the most auspicious time for a demonstration but this morning's at Brent Civic Centre was lively enough. Human rights activists were protesting at Barry Gardiner's invitation to Narendra Modi to speak in the House of Commons on 'The Future of Modern India'.

Modi (see previous posting LINK) is charged by activists with not intervening in, or even supporting, the 2002 massacre of more than 2,000 Gujerat Muslims. His Hindu nationalist party, the BJP, is denounced by many as fascist.

Barry Gardiner is Chair of the Labour Friends of India and issued the invitation in that capacity, However his critics suggest that the invite was aimed at securing the substantial Hindu vote in his Brent North constituency and to be based on enhancing business opportunities rather than human rights principles.

Modi has said he cannot come to the UK at present but the invitation is still extant. The demonstrators want the invitation to be officially withdrawn.

Gardiner came outside to meet the demonstrators and to distribute a statement. He was surrounded by angry activists who tried to talk to him to the background noise of chants of, 'Barry Gardiner, Shame, Shame/Inviting Modi, Not in Our Name; Barry, Barry, Don't Lie/Modi Guilty of Genocide.'

It does seem that Barry Gardiner has introduced a potentially explosive and divisive element into UK politics with his invitation and an issue that could impact on local community relations.


Friday 6 September 2013

Modi not coming but Barry Gardiner unrepentant

Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujerat, has told Barry Gardiner that he is unable to accept his  invitation to speak to the House of Commons on the 'Future of Modern India' as he is busy for the next few weeks/

Modi has been fiercely criticised over the massacre of over 2,000 Muslims in the Gujerat in 2002 and campaigns and petitions were launched to get the invitation withdrawn. Local support for the campaign   to withdraw the invitation has included Brent TUC and Brent Labour Representation Committee.

The demonstration outside Barry Gardiner's surgery  at the Brent Civic Centre on Monday, 11.30am-1pm will go ahead in an effort to persuade him to officially withdraw the invitation and not repeat it.

Gardiner told the Kilburn Times: LINK
If it was right to issue the invitation in the first place, it would be wrong to withdraw it. Nothing can be added by that. It is silly.
Given the abject history of official British support for 'strong men' abroad, often for business reasons and the 'national interest', only to rebound later when the strong men trample on democracy and commit human rights abuses, Gardiner may eventually be glad that his invitation was declined.





Thursday 5 September 2013

Gardiner faces demonstration over Modi visit on Monday

There is to be a demonstration on Monday at 11.30am outside the Brent Civic Centre where Barry Gardiner MP for Brent North will be holding his surgery. The demonstration is against Gardiner's invitation, as Chair of Labour Friends of India, to Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujerat,  to address the House of Commons. The demonstration is supported by  South Asian Solidarity, Islamic Human Rights Committee, Brent Trades Council, Brent Labour Representation Committee and many individuals. 

The exchange of letters below sets out the different viewpoints:

Barry Gardiner to Council of Indian Muslims (UK)

Dear Sirs,

 Asalaam Aleyeekum

Thank you for your courtesy in sending to me a copy of your open letter in which you refer to the invitation I issued to Narendra Modi to speak on “The Future of Modern India” in front of an invited audience in the House of Commons. I did this in my capacity as Chairman of Labour Friends of India. I appreciate your giving me the opportunity to set out my reasons for doing so.

Narendra Modi is the Chief Minister of Gujarat, which as you know is where a large proportion of the Indian community in Britain come from originally. He has been re-elected three times since first becoming Chief Minister in 2001, most recently in 2012 with the overwhelming support of both the Hindu and the Muslim community in the State. Since 2001 he has stamped out corruption in the State administration and is widely recognised (even by his enemies) to be personally not corrupt and to live frugally. Many non-resident Indians who hold him in high regard have a keen interest in maintaining their family contacts in Gujarat and are therefore interested to hear his views.

He has presided over what is often referred to as an economic miracle in Gujarat, encouraging foreign direct investment and improving roads, electricity and infrastructure whilst increasing education and healthcare. In particular women’s education has increased and death in childbirth has dropped by a third. All of this, he has done in the aftermath of the devastating Gujarat earthquake which wrecked the city of Bhuj and much of the surrounding villages and towns leaving 600,000 people homeless. The growth rate in the state from 2001 to 2012 has been almost 12% -- the highest of any state in India and as a result of his governance Britain now has more foreign direct investment in Gujarat than in the rest of India put together. He has been voted as the most successful Chief Minister by India Today Magazine 6 years in a row and has recently been made the Leader of the official Opposition Party, the BJP. The BJP is a Hindu Nationalist Party and those are certainly his uncompromising views (he would like India to be a Hindu State just as Pakistan is a Muslim State). However he has always governed in line with the secular constitution of India as did the BJP when it was the party of government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee between 1998 and 2004.

 I am of course aware of the allegations that he was implicated in – some say that he organised – the appalling rioting that took place in Gujarat in 2002. The riots took place in the immediate aftermath of the murder of 64 Ram Sewaks (Hindu religious) who were locked in a train that was set alight by Muslim extremists who objected to the Ram Sewaks’ demands to build a Hindu temple at Ayodhya. Hindu mobs then went on the rampage in revenge for this atrocity, burning out Muslim shops and homes. The official figure of those killed at the time was 850 but subsequent reports say that up to 2,000 Muslims were murdered. You have quoted from a BBC report that referenced an analysis prepared from contemporaneous accounts including the Human Rights Watch Report compiled immediately afterwards which made it clear that police and other officials had stood by and not tried to protect the Muslim community. This led some to accuse the authorities of a planned massacre.

Other contemporaneous reports in newspapers show that the state government had imposed curfews, issued shoot-on-sight orders and called for the army to prevent the violence from worsening. Clearly there was a horrific failure in the implementation of those orders. In April 2009, the Supreme Court of India appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to inquire into the Gujarat government and Narendra Modi's role in the incidents of communal violence. The SIT reported to the court in December 2010 submitting that they did not find any incriminating evidence against Modi of willfully allowing communal violence in the state. In all the rioting lasted for three days before the police got things under control. (In this respect you may recall that the rioting two years ago here in London took four days for the police to bring under control and they too were accused of standing by and doing nothing.)

Given that the Indian Courts have fully investigated the allegations about official complicity in the riots and have in fact convicted some senior administrative and political figures, it is I think all the more significant that they found that Modi was not implicated in any way.  This has of course not stopped people using the allegations against him for political reasons; and they continue to do so. That is no reason for us to regard them as justified and proven when the Indian courts, under a Congress government, have found that there is not even a case for him to answer.

My assessment in inviting Modi to speak in the UK is that he is a hugely important figure in Indian politics. He is already Leader of the Opposition and depending on the outcome of next year’s elections he could become the Prime Minister of India. At the very least he will continue to be a dominant influence on India’s future direction one way or another. Britain has good relations with India and our trade and education links are strong and growing. It is therefore in my view entirely appropriate that British politicians and leaders of the Indian community in the UK should have an interest in what he has to say about the future direction of his country. 

 I trust that this clarifies the situation for you, and once again want to thank you for affording me the opportunity to address your concerns.

With Kindest Regards
Yours sincerely
Barry Gardiner MPMember of Parliament for Brent NorthChairman of Labour Friends of India

Council of Indian Muslims (UK) response:

Dear Right Hon. Mr. Gardiner,
Thank you for promptly responding to our concerns about your invitation to Gujarat Chief Minister Mr. Narendra Modi.  Please forgive us for saying that we have been vindicated in our assessment that you have been misinformed.  Before we respond to the points raised in your letter, let us start by providing some background on the most serious charge against Mr. Modi, about his role in the Gujarat pogrom of 2002. 

The viciousness and barbarism that marked the Gujarat pogrom of 2002 including the burning alive of hundreds of people, and brutal sexual violence against women, make the Gujarat riots among the worst human rights violations in recent history. Over 2000 people were killed, countless others wounded, and over 150,000 displaced from their homes.

After their investigation of the violence, Human Rights Watch stated that the “attacks against Muslims (and other religious minorities) in Gujarat have been actively supported by state BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government officials and by the police.” [13]

The "Concerned Citizens Tribunal", established by journalists, retired judges and intellectuals in India to investigate the massacres in Gujarat, noted in its report:
The scrutiny of the evidence, which came before us, also reveals that there was systematic preparation for unleashing the violence all over the State. The attackers had with them the lists of persons and properties of the victims. The lists could not have been prepared without an access to government records and agencies like the state intelligence, the sales tax department, the revenue department and the state electoral rolls. The Muslim localities were identified beforehand, as also the property and business houses belonging to the Muslim community.
[Crime Against Humanity, Volume 1 - An Inquiry into the Carnage in Gujarat]

Babu Bajrangi, a convicted mass-killer of the Gujarat pogrom, acknowledged on camera during a media sting operation, that the pogrom would not have been possible without the support of Chief Minister Narendra Modi [14].  

There is much more evidence that we would be happy to provide, should you need us to corroborate our position against Mr. Modi. 

We would now like to respond to your letter point by point.

1. Modi, “has been re-elected three times since first becoming Chief Minister in 2001”
This is not unusual in Indian electoral politics which is often driven by sectarian loyalty rather than principle. Nor does it mean that he is governing well. The Left Front government ruled the state of West Bengal for 32 years until 2009. Naveen Patnaik (Orissa), Sheila Dikshit (Delhi) also were re-elected three times in a row. You must be aware of the fact that electoral arithmetic does not entirely depend on the persona of any individual, especially in a Westminster model of democracy. 

2. Muslims have voted for him in 2012
The Center for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), which collects electoral data collected using scientific survey methodology, reported that only 18% of Muslims voted for BJP. 

The same data reports that BJP did not field any Muslim candidate in the last Gujarat election. There were areas where Muslims had no option but to vote for the other candidate. This has nothing to do with Modi. Muslims were forced to express, under threat or intimidation by BJP/RSS, their support for him but there is nothing to suggest that they have voted for him as a community. [3]

3. Since 2001 he has stamped out corruption in the State administration”
This is false – an example of Mr. Modi’s expensive propaganda machine at work. If corruption has been stamped out, why then did the Modi administration resist the appointment of state Lok Ayukta (anti-corruption ombudsman) since 2003? When the State Governor appointed one, the Modi administration contested it up to the Supreme Court where it lost.

4. Modi, “is widely recognized (even by his enemies) to be personally not corrupt and to live frugally.”
Our objections to Mr. Modi's politics concern his fascist traits in politics and government, not his personal lifestyle, which incidentally is also not above board. 

5.  “Many non-resident Indians who hold him in high regard have a keen interest in maintaining their family contacts in Gujarat and are therefore interested to hear his views.”
This is no reason to justify implicit support for his views by providing him with a platform. Emigrants all over the world maintain contact with their families and relatives back home. There may be many in the UK who support other leaders with fascist views and would be very interested to hear them.

6. “He has presided over what is often referred to as an economic miracle in Gujarat, encouraging foreign direct investment and improving roads, electricity and infrastructure whilst increasing education and healthcare....”
Gujarat has not been a leading state in foreign direct investment (FDI). The Gujarat government claims that it signed nearly $1 trillion worth of memoranda of understanding (MoU), putting the state ahead of China! The real numbers tell a different story. Most of the MoUs never come to fruition. Gujarat's actual FDI is only sixth in the country and slightly ahead of (until recently communist ruled) West Bengal. Mr. Modi’s formidable PR armada led by APCO has created the fiction of Modi’s magic in Gujarat’s prosperity. Even if it were true, how much does a pound of human flesh cost?

7. Britain now has more foreign direct investment in Gujarat than in the rest of India put together.
This is a rather unfortunate admission in that it implies that economic interests are more important than human rights. Please note that the massacres he gave free rein to in 2002 also took the lives of three British citizens. These facts, if underlined, would anger the general British population as well. Under these circumstances, it would be highly regrettable for a British politician to be associated with and seen as endorsing Mr. Modi.

8. He has been voted as the most successful Chief Minister in India by Today Magazine 6 years in a row.
India Today is an English language magazine. English is spoken by 2-3% people in India (per the national census of 2001) - the poll therefore does not carry much weight as representing a significant proportion of Indian citizens.

9. He has recently been made the Leader of the Official Opposition Party
The Leader of the Official Opposition Party is in fact Mr. Rajnath Singh; Mr. Modi is simply in charge of the election campaign for 2014 elections.

10. The BJP is a Hindu Nationalist Party. And those are certainly his uncompromising views (he would like India to be a Hindu State just as Pakistan is a Muslim State.)
Thank you for pointing this out. The issue is that the Hindu Nationalist charter goes above and beyond India as a Hindu state a la Pakistan as a Muslim state. The VHP and RSS who are the ideological sources of the Hindu Nationalist movement were strongly influenced by Nazis in their formative years. University of Chicago Professor Martha Nussbaum calls the movement the most successful proto-fascist movement of modern times [1]. To quote Prof. Nussbaum:

“Since long before the 2002 Gujarat riots--in which nearly two thousand Muslims were killed by Hindu extremists--the power of the Hindu right has been growing, threatening India's hard-won constitutional practices of democracy, tolerance, and religious pluralism. Led politically by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Hindu right has sought the subordination of other religious groups and has directed particular vitriol against Muslims, who are cast as devils in need of purging.”

The Hindu Nationalist movement not only threatens the Muslims in India, but Christians, Dalits, Sikhs, Buddhists, and other minorities as well. In the long run, they will threaten other regional powers (Because India, according to them, extends from Afghanistan to Burma and from Tibet to Sri Lanka.)

BJP is the political wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a fascist group whose leader M. S. Golwalkar in his book We; Our Nationhood Defined, laid down the aims and objectives of this group in these words, “...the foreign races [read non Hindus] in Hindusthan [India] must either adopt the Hindu culture and language, must learn to respect and hold in reverence Hindu religion, must entertain no idea but those of the glorification of the Hindu race and culture...must lose their separate existence to merge in the Hindu race, or may stay in the country, wholly subordinated to the Hindu Nation...We are an old nation; let us deal, as old nations ought to and do deal, with the foreign races...” Otherwise, “...To keep up the purity of the Race and its culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of the Semitic Races—the Jews. Germany has also shown how well impossible it is for Races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindusthan to learn and profit by.”
India has a remarkably successful constitution.  Modi’s uncompromising views are constitutionally inappropriate and legally unjustifiable. 

11. I am of course aware of the allegations that he was implicated in – some say that he organised – the appalling rioting that took place in Gujarat in 2002…  train that was set alight by Muslim extremists who objected to the Ram Sewaks’ demands to build a Hindu temple at Ayodhya

The official probe conducted by Indian Railways concluded that there was no attack from outside, that the fire started inside the coach; the claim that the fire was started by the Muslims’ as a retaliation to the temple at Ayodhya is a fiction and perhaps uttered here for the first time.

Muslims do not oppose the construction of a Ram Temple. What they are against is the occupation of Waqf (Muslim trust) land, where once stood a historic mosque and that was pulled down by extremist Hindus under the full gaze of the media. 

12. “Hindu mobs...  planned massacre”
As has been pointed out, all evidence points to a planned and systematic ethnic cleansing that could not have been possible without the overt support of the state machinery. A former minister in Modi cabinet Maya Kodnani was convicted by the High Court in Gujarat for her role in the Gujarat pogrom of 2002 [12]. This alone is a damning indictment and proof that the pogrom was planned and executed with direction from the highest levels of the state administration.  

13. “Given that the Indian Courts... Modi was not implicated in any way”
The truth about Modi will be known only when he is out of office and unable to use government machinery to silence his critics– please see what he does to officers who expose his role like Sanjiv Bhat.

14. “This has of course not stopped people using the allegations against him for political reasons; and they continue to do so... That is no reason... there is not even a case for him to answer”

Even the Supreme court has made these allegations [2, 10]. Are you, sir, suggesting that the Indian Supreme court has political agenda?

Mr. Modi has refused to condemn the attack on Muslims; he has instead focused his efforts on denying relief and assistance to the victims [11]. He has polarized Gujarati and Indian society along religious lines, leading to social and commercial boycott of Muslims, walls separating Muslim and Hindu areas in cities and towns and “Muslim-free” villages. There are still tens of thousands of the displaced during 2002 living in shanty towns and temporary refugee camps too afraid to return to their homes and villages.

The amicus curiae appointed by the Supreme Court has asserted that Modi can be prosecuted [2]. There is enough evidence against him that the United States denies him entry [5,6]. It is difficult to file a case against a Chief Minister everywhere and especially in India. 

15. My assessment in inviting Modi to speak in the UK is that he is a hugely important figure in Indian politics. He is already Leader of the Opposition and depending on the outcome of next year’s elections he could become the Prime Minister of India. At the very least he will continue to be a dominant influence on India’s future direction one way or another. Britain has good relations with India and our trade and education links are strong and growing. It is therefore in my view entirely appropriate that British politicians and leaders of the Indian community in the UK should have an interest in what he has to say about the future direction of his country.

As we have pointed out before, Modi is not the leader of the Opposition. He is not as popular as you have been told [9]. Humanity has nothing to gain from a fascist leader, however alluring his promises may seem. 
We hope we have convinced you that the facts and arguments provided to you by Modi supporters are false and reprehensibly so. We would like to expand on why we oppose Mr. Modi and his propaganda of a Gujarat `miracle.’ 

He inherited a rich state which was richer than the rest of India even before independence - in comparison to other Indian states Gujarat has always been an economically better [4].

Even so, income disparity in Gujarat is one of the most extreme in India. Per data released by the planning commission of India, 31.8% are still below poverty line.  Note that poverty means those who do not earn Rs. 20 (GBP 0.20) per day! 

Responding to a question on malnutrition in Gujarat, Narendra Modi, on 29 August 2012, said: "The middle class is more beauty-conscious than health-conscious that is a challenge…If a mother tells her daughter to have milk, they'll have a fight-she'll tell her mother, 'I won't drink milk. I'll get fat."   
We would like to emphasize that Mr. Modi refused to condemn the 2002 riots, let alone apologize to the victims. He walked out of an interview with Karan Thapar when pressed on this. On the contrary he continues to evoke the 2002 case to create his image as a nationalist!

We have tried our best to answer you point by point. We specially request you to watch and read the links and references provided in our responses. If that is difficult, please ask an unbiased and credible source about the facts presented here. At stake are values that are common to both the United Kingdom and India and indeed to all civilized nations [7, 8].

Regards,
Munaf Zeena

Notes and References
[1] “The Clash Within: Democracy, Religious Violence, and India's Future” Martha Nussbaum Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (2009)
[2] “Gujarat riots: Amicus curiae says Modi can be prosecuted” http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gujarat...amicus-curiae...modi.../946400/
[3] “Muslims solidly against Modi: Katju
[4] Growth Rate: As per the Planning Commission data, this is true that in the period of 1995-2000 and 2001-10, Gujarat increased its annual rate of growth from 8.01% to 8.68%. 
But look at other states Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. In fact, Gujarat was ranked second after Rajasthan (8.34%) in the first period and third after Uttarakhand (11.81%) and Haryana (8.95%) in the second period. Even Bihar and Orissa, the two most backward states of the country, have also shown growth pick up from 4.70% and 4.42% in the first period to 8.02% and 8.13% in the second period. Even smaller states like Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have registered growth of 11.01% and 8.96%, respectively. In 2011, Gujarat ranked sixth among major states with PCI of Rs 63,996, after Haryana (Rs 92,327), Maharashtra (Rs 83,471), Punjab (Rs 67,473), Tamil Nadu (Rs 72,993) and Uttarakhand (Rs 68,292).
25 US lawmakers have urged US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to continue with America's move. 
http://in.news.yahoo.com/keep-denying-visa-to-modi--us-lawmakers-052424447.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/10250928/US-official-warns-against-giving-Indias-Narendra-Modi-a-visa.html
“India will not be able to survive because it has so much diversity, so many religions, castes, languages, ethnic groups, etc.
http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/GUJ-AHD-india-would-not-survive-if-modi-becomes-pm-markandey-katju-4191218-NOR.html
Martha C Nussbaum is the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago.
"Modi has long been denied a visa to enter the US because of his complicity in the 2002 pogrom, as ascertained by the US State Department. But now, the Naroda Patiya verdicts make official the fact that responsibility for heinous crimes goes very high up in his government," she notes.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-12-24/news/35991670_1_gujarat-chief-minister-gujarat-riots-naroda-patiya
"We do not agree with the content of your seminar and invitation of Narendra Modi as a chief guest," he said. "As a magazine and as a publishing house in India with more than 12 years of standing, we stand by the principles of good taste, decency, progressive values, democratic principles and above all, the Constitution of India. As editor of PrintWeek India, I don't think Narendra Modi stands by these values; and hence the withdrawal of support," Ramnathan said.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/printers-protest-narendra-modi-as-chief-guest-pullout-from-conference/1079417/
Passing strictures against the state government, the court said, "Gujarat Government's inadequate response and inaction (to contain the riots) resulted in an anarchic situation which continued unabated for days on".
In a major blow to the Narendra Modi government, the Gujarat High Court today censured it for "inaction and negligence" during the 2002 post-Godhra riots, holding that this had resulted in an "anarchic" situation.
[12] Naroda Patiya case: Former BJP minister Maya Kodnani convicted along with 31 others http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-08-30/news/33499655_1_naroda-patiya-gujarat-riots-kodnani
[13]"We have no orders to save you" - Report by Human Rights Watch
[14] The Truth – Gujarat 2002: Babu Bajrangi