The Hindu Business Line : Modi

IT IS easy to allow one's judgment to get clouded by the outrage expressed in several quarters at the Bush administration's decision to refuse diplomatic visa to the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi. He and many close to him have even called it an "insult to the Indian Constitution."

The US went one step further, cancelling the tourist and business visas already stamped on Modi's passport. This was done under "Section 212 (a)(2)(G) of the Immigration and Nationality Act which makes any government official who was responsible for or directly carried out at any time, particularly severe violations of the religious freedom, ineligible for visa," said a US Embassy spokesman in Delhi.

The US authorities have cited reports of the National Human Rights Commission of India to point to the Modi administration's failure to curb the communal pogrom in Gujarat in 2002.

Modi has been invited to the US by the Asian American Hotel Owners' Association to participate in a meeting. The reaction from various camps in India was on expected lines; the BJP and other Sangh Parivar outfits took serious exception to the refusal, the External Affairs Ministry summoned the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Delhi, Robert Blake, to lodge its protest and describe the denial of visa to a democratically elected Chief Minister of an Indian State as "a lack of courtesy" and the Government of India urged the US to reconsider its decision.

Modi himself, at present under assault by BJP MLAs for his "dictatorial style of functioning" and "spying" over his own party's legislators, lost no time to use this opportunity to appear as both hero and martyr.

He could be seen on every TV channel condemning the American administration's decision and cleverly invoking all kinds of analogies such as the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, and its bonhomie with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt where the minorities' religious freedom was severely curbed to drum up support for his cause.

His shrillest argument was: "Who has given the US government the right to sit in judgment over me when I have not been convicted by any judicial authority in India for involvement in `the incidents'."

The Congress too was left with little option except paying lip service to the line the UPA Government had taken, while at the same time painstakingly clarifying that this did not mean that they agreed with Modi's brand of communal politics.

The biggest shot in Modi's arm came when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh defended the Gujarat Chief Minister by telling Parliament that while, "We respect the sovereign right of any country to grant or refuse visa to any person, we do not believe that it is appropriate to use allegations to make a subjective judgment to question a constitutional authority in India."

In an editorial The Hindu described the US decision to refuse and revoke visa to Modi as a "a slap in Mr Modi's face."

A PTI report quoted Mike Patel, founder-chairman of the association and advisor on minorities to the American President, as saying that Gujaratis settled in the US had decided to "support the decision of the American Government on this issue."

Further, "Patel pleaded with Modi to expedite the process of justice for the riot victims in the State and help in removing whatever obstacles come in the way of giving speedy justice," added the report.

The report also said Patel had indicated that the invitation to Modi had been cancelled but there was no official confirmation of this to the Chief Minister's Office.

In the meanwhile, preparations are on in Ahmedabad for Modi to address the Hotel Owners' Association meet through a satellite link.

A section of the media has expressed the opinion that the US has no right to sit in judgment over Modi's acts of commission or omission and that the Indian democracy has its own ways of dealing with the likes of Modi.

Others argue that this incident will portray Modi as a martyr and make him even stronger.

The point is not about Modi's political future or his longevity as Gujarat CM. The point is that one's questionable past always has a way of catching up with one.

Modi would be the best person to understand the meaning of the Gujarati adage: Paap chhapre chadhi ney pukarey chhey (One's sins will always be exposed).

Response can be sent to rasheeda@thehindu.co.in

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