Visa Diplomacy

Two weeks ago the Indian government issued 10000 visas to Pakistani cricket fans to enable them to come to India and support their team. It was a great gesture which not only took forward the peace initiative but also paved the way for greater people to people contact which is most vital for the fostering peace and friendship. This was considered to be a reciprocal gesture to Pakistan issuing visa’s to Indian fans last year. Cricket and visa diplomacy at its best.

Now another issue has cropped up which also deals with visa and diplomacy. But this issue may is not as pleasant as the first one. One tiny group of lobbyists going by the name of coalition against genocide have perhaps wrought in the most humiliating insult that a seasoned politician like Mr.Narendra Modi would have faced in his career. I am referring to the contentious issue of the USA denying him a visa and going further in revoking his business visa

This coalition, having members on both the countries and more had done their homework thoroughly. They convinced a US congressman that Mr.Modi by virtue of his actions; or rather inaction during the Gujarat riots of 2002 had violated a US law and hence cannot enter the country. The congressman then took the mantle and drafted a letter to the authorities pointing out the crimes attributed to Modi during the riots and how it violated the rights to religious freedom act. Acting on it, the visa was refused. Putting in not so subtle terms, as per US law, Narendra Modi is a criminal. A criminal who presided over a genocide, who had the power to stop it, but who did nothing, who in fact abetted it. While I have no sympathies for Modi and am happy that he was insulted in such a manner, at the same time I am awestruck by the power and reach of democracy in the US. We proclaim ourselves to be the torch bearers of democracy, but all that is on paper. The same Narendra Modi won elections riding a wave fuelled by the riots. Today we see the shameful scenario of a jailed MP walking into parliament to take his oath and immediately after that returning to his cell. A person no less than the President of India has commented about the trading of legislators like commodities.

Forget a small group like the coalition against genocide, a body as powerful, big and independent as the election commission has not been able to prevent criminals from contesting elections. Is the common man s voice heard and respected? I doubt. Can any government decision be taken without being influenced by the local representatives, the members of parliament, ministers etc. But a little lobby of determined individuals could get the most powerful country in the world to listen to it and act on its findings. The US is after all a country which brought a sitting President to trial and almost impeached him. That is what I call Democracy.

Maybe politically the decision to revoke the visa was an error, and to an extent smacks of their traditional arrogance; but since when has been the US politically correct. What if all the nations of the world passed similar laws or just interpreted their existing laws to say that anybody directly or indirectly responsible for the propagation of violence would be banned from entering their country? George W Bush would not be able to step into any country in the world. Isn’t he responsible for the anarchy in Iraq, for indirectly converting Al Qaeda into the most dreaded terrorist organization in the world, for shattering peace in Madrid, Bali, Casablanca, for legitimizing dictators in some countries and demonizing elected rulers in other countries, for not listening to three fourths of the world’s population and attacking Iraq.

Heard that Uncle Bush is planning to visit India this year, why don’t we deny him a visa as well.