Gaslighted: After Sitharaman, former USCIRF chief also roasts ex-President Obama

Virendra Pandit 

New Delhi: The unsolicited advice Barack Obama gave through the media to US President Joe Biden to rake up the ‘religious freedom question’ during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s just-concluded State Visit last week has landed the former US President in a soup within and without.

Not only did Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman remind Obama of his own record as POTUS of bombing several Muslim countries repeatedly, but even the former Commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom has come down heavily on the ex-President.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit wasn’t just a piece of history for India. It was a piece of history for the US as well,” the former US official said.

Former President Barack Obama should spend his energy complimenting India more than criticizing it, Johnnie Moore, former USCIRF chief, and an American evangelical leader, said. India is the most diverse country in human history and the US should be complimenting the largest democracy in the world.

Ironically, when Modi became the PM in May 2014, then President Obama lifted the nine-year-long visa ban the US had imposed on him in 2005 when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Later, Obama cozied up, struck a ‘friendship’ with PM Modi, invited him to Washington, and also visited India as chief guest at the Republic Day Parade.

“I think the former President (Barack Obama) should spend his energy complimenting India more than criticizing India. India is the most diverse country in human history. It’s not a perfect country, just like the US is not a perfect country, but its diversity is its strength and we should be complimenting the largest democracy in the world,” the media reports quoted Moore as saying.

“America can learn a lot from India. India is the most pluralistic country in the entire world. It is a laboratory of religions. I went to India to learn about religion and one of the remarkable things about India is, there are more languages and more religions, and more diverse people in that single democracy than any example in human history – something we should be celebrating every chance that we can get,” Moore added.

His remarks came days after Obama was quoted as saying in an interview that President Biden (who was the Vice President during the Obama presidency) should raise the religious freedom issue with India, as he would have done had he still been the US President.

In an interview with CNN on Thursday last, Obama said if India does not protect the rights of ethnic minorities, there is a strong possibility at some point that the country starts pulling apart.

“It was the time to celebrate the historic visit rather than leveling some criticism on it. With some friends, particularly when it comes to democracy, it is sometimes better to privately criticize and publicly praise. That’s good geopolitics,” the former USCIRF commissioner said.

“Because there are plenty of people around the world that want to demonstrate that this is the twilight of democracy in the world. It is not the twilight, it is a new dawn of democracy,” he added.

Obama’s comments drew a major backlash in India, especially from the leaders of the ruling BJP, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying the former US President’s remarks were surprising as six Muslim-majority countries had faced US “bombings” during his tenure.

“I am exercising restraint while speaking on foreign matters. We want a good friendship with the US…Didn’t bombings happen in six countries – Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq and other Muslim countries – during his term (as US President)?” she asked.

“When he makes such allegations against India, will the people trust him,” she said.