News India Times
October 9, 2015
8
– that’s all you need to know
Special Report
‘Modi Protesters Driven By Larger Concerns For Indian Democracy’
By Ela Dutt
rime Minister
Narendra Modi's
recent visit to Silicon
Valley where he held
meetings with CEOs
of global companies like Google
and Face Book, met U.S. law-
makers, and was feted by some
18,000 Indian-American sup-
porters in a spectacular event at
SAP Center in San Jose Sept. 27,
understandably hogged the
media spotlight.
However, while most head-
lines dwelt on the success of his
visit, the protests against Modi
government policies got little
coverage, although at least
3,000 people staged their oppo-
sition outside the SAP Center.
These protests were organized
by different groups as well as by
an umbrella organization,
Alliance for Justice and
Accountability. On Sept. 23, the
AJA sent out a flyer
"Unwelcome Modi" declaring
the date and time of the
demonstration at the Arena
Green opposite SAP Center,
Sept. 27, 2 pm to 7 pm.
Large billboards in the city
read "Respect India
#RejectModi: Say no to human
rights abuse," or "#ModiFail:
We Stand Against Modi's
Regressive Agenda" and "Prime
Minister Modi stop persecuting
religious minorities in India," as
well as "Stop forced religious
conversions of Christians and
Muslims in India."
On that day outside the SAP
Center, myriad causes were
highlighted on placards. One
read "Atrocity Nation: #End
Caste Apartheid Now."
A large group of Sikhs carried
placards reading "Sikh
Referendum: 2020 Campaign."
Lining the road were people
holding slogans saying "Modi
Believes in Violence Not
Development," Another group
held up a sign saying "Justice
for Gujarat." Hindi placards
declared "Patidar Anamat
Andolan: We Demand Justice."
Another sign held up by a
group in green T-shirts said,
"Hey Modi Take an
#selfie with us
LGBT."
Demonstrators
staged a "Die In"
lying on the floor
with signs reading
#Babri Masjid. A big
sign read "We Stand
Against Modi's
Agenda of Hate and
Greed."
All protesters
were kept behind
police barricades.
Hundreds of pro-
Modi demonstrators
were also present
holding placards
reading "East or
West-Modi is the
Best."
The AJA in a press
release, said it began
its protest campaign a month
before the Modi visit, among
them launching the Twitter
handle #Modifail. Also, a week
before the Sept. 27 event, under
its initiative "Zuck, Wash Your
Hands," about 250 packages
containing small bottles of
hand sanitizer were sent to Face
Book founder Mark
Zuckerberg who had
organized a Town Hall
meeting for Modi.
Organizers said the
protesters were a
"diverse" crowd and
that police estimates
placed the number at
around 3,000 people.
One protester who did
not wish his name used
told News India Times,
"We were a coalition of
several groups - Hindu
progressives, Tamils,
queer folk, a group
called South Asians
Taking Action,
Muslims, a group
called South Asian sis-
ters, and others."
Supporters of Modi's
Bharatiya Janata Party
say protesters were publicity
seekers and that protests on
domestic Indian issues should
not be held outside India when
a head of government is visit-
ing.
The protests were "a total
hoax" according to Ankur
Vaidya, a former officeholder in
Overseas Friends of BJP-USA.
"They (protesters) are just pub-
licity-seeking people and they
will protest if an apple goes
bad," Vaidya said.
Chandrakant Patel, president
of OFBJP-USA, told News India
Times protests that are about
India's domestic problems
should not be held here. "I am
against these kinds of protests.
The picture of India does not
shine in such cases when Prime
Minister is visiting," he said.
“Modi talks about Digital
India, while ignoring millions of
Digital Indians demanding an
end to Internet censorship,
restrictions on online privacy,
and arrests of social media
users,” activist Virali Modi-
Parekh is quoted as saying in
the AJA press release. Another
activist Neil Tangri, said the
Indian government was
attempting to shut down civil
society organizations including
frontline groups and non-gov-
ernmental organizations like
Greenpeace India and Sierra
Club.
"Counter-demonstrations
are very hard to put together,"
said Prof. Vijay Prashad of
Trinity College, one of the sig-
natories of a letter signed by
more than 100 academics in the
U.S., chastising Silicon Valley
CEOs to look more closely at
Modi's Digital India program.
"Protesters are not looking for
something commensurate to be
done about the tragedies. They
want to raise questions about
injustice," Prashad said.
P
"Protesters are
not looking for
something
commensurate with
the tragedies, they
want to raise questions
about injustice”
