The San Jose Mercury News ran a photo essay of the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI) event at Google headquarters today. A variety of speakers described Modi’s policies targeting human rights groups and religious minorities, in addition to his involvement with the 2002 Gujarat genocide.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2015
San Jose, CA: In anticipation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the Bay Area on September 27, 2015, the Alliance for Justice And Accountability (AJA) – a broad coalition of progressive organizations – has launched a campaign to hold him accountable for past and present attacks on the freedoms and human rights of Indian communities.
AJA will hold a protest at the SAP Center on September 27, 2015 under the banner #ModiFail, to expose the realities behind Modi’s alleged “accomplishments.” The Alliance will also reach out to elected officials and corporate leaders in the US to inform them about Modi’s failed and regressive policies that negatively impact human rights, religious freedoms, the environment, and overall: shrink the space for civil liberties under his rule.
On September 27, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, will be welcomed at SAP Center in San Jose, California, as part of his global PR campaign. Join us at the event on September 27, in safe permitted free speech areas, to tell the other side of the story.
Please share the Facebook event, and register online!
Join us to stand up for India’s religious minorities, women, LGBTQ people, historically marginalized castes, Dalits and adivasis — as well as everyone who loves a safe and clean environment, free speech, a free Internet, and the right to openly debate and disagree.
“Over 100 prominent US-based academics, most of them Indian-Americans who last month raised privacy concerns about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Digital India’ campaign, have now alleged they are receiving threats on their blogs by his ‘Hindu nationalist followers.’”
Times of India: “US academics say Narendra Modi supporters posting threats on blogs”
We’re welcoming Prime Minister Modi to Silicon Valley with a report card! Click the links to see his marks…
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Indian-Prime-Minister-Narendra-Modi-324199571.html
University professors across the country have cautioned the South Bay community about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit later this month.
One-hundred-twenty-five academics from different disciplines, including professors from Stanford, Santa Clara University, UC Berkeley, and UC Santa Cruz, published a “faculty statement” on Modi’s visit on Academeblog on Aug. 27.
Mr Modi’s diplomacy appears to involve making warm statements now and putting off tough steps till later. It is like his style in domestic affairs. The prime minister is a forceful communicator. But he postpones the arduous job of getting things done. His critics say that Mr Modi cares more for the theatre of politics than the hard grind of passing laws or accomplishing reform through compromise.
–The Economist: “Lights, camera, inaction! Does the prime minister prefer talk over deeds?”
http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-narendra-modi-silicon-valley-20150901-story.html
More than 100 academics from major American universities have issued a scathing critique of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to Silicon Valley and warned U.S. technology executives against supporting his Digital India initiative.
To his supporters, who pooh-pooh any criticism of this government asserting that “It also happened under Congress rule” the whole point of changing the guard was to usher in a new administrative era that was efficient, corruption-free, and economy-centric. What we have got instead, at least till now, is empty symbolism and social and religious paternalism. It behooves us as concerned citizens and Indians abroad to make very sure that the Emperor’s new clothes are indeed real.
Tweets, photo ops, and clever slogans cannot bring about the change India needs. If Mr. Modi wishes to be the transformative leader that Indians gave him a mandate for, he must back up his inspiring rhetoric with action. He needs to fill the ranks of government with talented administrators, pledge to openness and transparency in government affairs, and unreservedly condemn and sideline the communalist forces among his allies.
Indians have been incredibly patient and forgiving of an undeserving, corrupt, incompetent and shameless political class that has consistently failed them for far too long. It is time to do right by them, Prime Minister Modi.
–India Currents: “Speak Up, Prime Minister Modi”
