Modi’s agenda amid pandemic

As governments around the world impose strict measures amid the pandemic, India has imposed the largest lockdown forcing over a billion people to stay at home for at least three weeks. Despite the global crisis, the Modi government is continuing with the supremacist Hindutva agenda.

As the world’s attention was diverted toward the pandemic, India altered the domicile law in held Kashmir, allowing outsiders to become permanent residents in the restive region. This is a blatant attempt to change the demography of the valley which has been under a communication lockdown for over eight months and is seeing a rise in coronavirus cases.

Pakistan has rebuked the controversial law calling it a violation of international laws and treaties, and a calculated attempt to change the region’s demography. The foreign office has termed the sinister action even more reprehensible during the global health crisis. India is taking advantage of the international community’s focus on the Covid-19 pandemic to continue its fascist policies.

This was followed by the deeply worrying and bigoted remarks by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy that Muslims were not equal and were responsible for trouble. Such statements are not just a violation of the Indian constitution but basic human rights and liberties. The BJP leader is no stranger to such controversies and once even claimed that Muslims should be denied voting rights for failing to accept Hindu supremacy.

Prime Minister Imran Khan called out the BJP leader for his racist comments, sharing a video clip which will be aired by a US media channel. He said the RSS-inspired BJP leadership in the 21^st Century is speaking about Muslims similar to the way Nazis spoke about Jews. The prime minister has repeatedly compared the BJP to Nazis and warned of genocide against Indian Muslims similar to the Holocaust.

Even on the domestic front, India’s response to the pandemic has been rather dismal as it abruptly announced a lockdown, creating chaos and a mass exodus until it was forced to issue an apology. The Modi government had introduced an absurd campaign to switch off all lights for nine minutes on Sunday and instead light earthen lamps or candles to show solidarity in the fight against the pandemic.

While the world is fighting a health emergency, India is pushing forward its Hindutva agenda and heaping more miseries on innocent Kashmiris. The coronavirus outbreak may have brought gloom and darkness but the Modi government has already cast a shadow on the nation.