Washington, March 20, 2005
Maya Mirchandani
NDTV
It was the work of one core group which led to the
US government denying Narendra Modi a visa.
The Coalition against Genocide minced no words in
their campaign against the chief minister for his
alleged role in the Gujarat riots.
Voicing opinions
Even before and especially since the Gujarat riots,
NRI activists have been fighting to have their voices
heard by the US government, against what they allege
is the funding of communal violence in India by many
Indian Americans who support the Hindu right.
"Gujarat 2002 was a watershed. It was an important
moment in the sense that it was a genocide in all
ways and people I think a lot of us were for the first
time really began to realise the power of the Hindu
right when they actually occupy state apparatus, the
complicity and how they allowed such violence to unfold,"
said Ashwini Rao, Campaign to Stop Funding Hate.
The visa controversy has divided the NRIs in the
US. The people who invited Modi are furious.
Rallying behind Modi
Nevertheless the Overseas Friends of the BJP, a rich
and influential group and the Asian-American hotel
owners are pressing ahead with their plans both with
a rally at Madison Square Garden's theater as well
as a convention in Florida.
"In denying visa to Narendra Modi, America has
made a mistake. It is an insult to India's pride.
Indian people are very upset and agitated and I think
it will unite the Hindus, it will expose the Muslims,"
said Arish Sahani, General Secretary, Overseas Friends
of the BJP.
The visa controversy has had another fallout. In
a huge blow for the organisers the credit card giant
American Express cancelled its sponsorship of the
events that Modi was going to attend after the US
government denied him a visa.
Clearly a sign that the activist groups which the
BJP supporters once only recognised for their nuisance
value are beginning to be taken seriously.
"American Express has cancelled its sponsorship
of the Asian-American Hotel Owners Association function.
In reaction to this, our community leaders met and
have decided that all Indian Americans will boycott
American Express. Tomorrow, in Madison Square Garden,
we will gather to destroy our credit cards,"
said Jagdish Sehwani, Overseas Friends of the BJP.
The anti-BJP activists, encouraged by their victory
say the campaign is not restricted to Narendra Modi.
"The fact that Modi is not coming which is good,
but his supporters will all be there and he still
enjoys a lot of financial support, the Hindu right
does enjoy a lot of financial support from their counterpart
organisations here, so for us I see it is as a turning
point in a larger long term struggle to perhaps marginalise
these right wing organisations," said Ashwini
Rao, Campaign to Stop Funding Hate.
But the BJP and its supporters claim say this one
episode has changed Indo-US relations. Ironically
it's the BJP which is credited for improving this
relationship during their rule at the Centre.
"I don't have anything against the protestors.
But I am upset with the State Department. They should
have heard our case too before even deciding,"
said Jagdish Sehwani, Overseas Friends of the BJP.
Increasing tensions
This is certainly not the first time that confrontation
has taken place between the Hindu right in America
and groups like the Coalition against Genocide.
But the fact that the protests were loud enough to
be heard and acted upon in Washington has taken tensions
to a new level.
Come Sunday, it will be daggers drawn at Madison
Square Garden as the event organisers insisting the
rally will continue with a video link with Narendra
Modi and protesters insist they will be heard outside.