Narendra Modi At Madison Square Garden

From: Roger Noah [Email him]

There are several news stories about the visit of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. However, this one caught my eye.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reception at Madison Square Garden is a way of thanking the Indian-American community members who played a big part in his electronic campaign and election funding. It is a powerful message to U.S. President Barack Obama and the U.S. administration ahead of his meetings in Washington.

“Mr. Obama is a democratic man. When he sees the response of the crowds here, how can he not understand the popularity of a man, who like him, has come up the hard way?” explains BJP leader Ram Madhav, who has been a key organiser of Mr. Modi’s events in the U.S. The other message is that the political clout of the Indian-American community that has rallied around Mr. Modi in large numbers can no longer be ignored. At 2.8 million, they may number just 1% of the U.S. population, but they are the most educated and richest minority, according to a Pew survey in 2013. Indian diaspora makes mark in foreign policy, The Hindu, September 29, 2014

What appalled me was the cavalier attitude towards using political influence to serve the interests of a foreign country. Right now, there are no significant discrepancies between the USA's geopolitical interests and India's, but there are definitely economic conflicts of interest. The Indian elite seems to see the USA as a cow to be milked to the fullest, while keeping the cow's owners (the American ruling elite) pleased. Think in term of IT job outsourcing.

Another article says

"Referring to the ageing people across the world, Modi said that India is blessed with the youngest population and the largest workforce in the world. India can supply the workforce to the world," he said, suggesting that India should export its trained teachers and nurses across the world."

One would have hoped that the Indian-American community with all of its bragged-about education and wealth, would have identified first with the land that nurtures them, i.e. the USA and would have been true American patriots first with America's interests foremost in their minds. After all, the well-being of their descendants is here and not there.

How odd and tasteless would it be if Peter Brimelow, as an American citizen who immigrated from Britain, would carry out a campaign to further the political and economic interests of the UK!

James Fulford writes: Apparently the Indian Diaspora is working it both ways—influencing elections in their native country from America, and influencing American politics on behalf of India. I wrote about the potential problems of of the Indian Diaspora over ten years ago.