Nirmala Sitharaman interview: The West has a bad habit of commenting on the internal affairs of other nations, and they will only learn their lesson when other nations start doing the same with them. These were the remarks of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on the query of Western interference in Indian issues. Like this, he has been repeatedly demolishing the arguments of these ill-researched hit jobs and smear campaigns against India.
In addition to that, MEA recently called out Germany for preaching India on our internal issues and reminded such nations to mind their own business. Time and again, India has been paying the West in kind for poking and preaching to it on what to do and how to do it.
Now, sitting in Washington, DC, in recent interview Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has schooled the Western intellectuals, narrative setters, and biased intellectuals for indulging in a negative campaign against India.
Interview: FM Nirmala Sitharaman shows West Media their place
Dr. Jaishankar’s strong remarks on the West, like the one stated above, should not be read as arrogance and a hot-handed approach to handling things. As a matter of fact, India is a firm believer in debate and dialogue. So, if the West comes up with the right intentions to seek clarity on any issue, the Indian side engages them in meaningful discussions and irons out their preconceived notions, wrongful presumptions, biased opinions, or genuine doubts on those issues.
In a similar kind of debate, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pulled off both jobs with great finesse. Firstly, she dispelled the negative Western perspective on the treatment of Muslims in India’. Secondly, she highlighted how cut off these reporters are from reality, especially the ones who write harsh commentary on Indian affairs while sitting in their echo chambers in the US or other “like-minded” countries.
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Assuming the fact that the intentions of the West were right in seeking clarity about the treatment of Muslims in India, Minister Sitharaman settled the debate once and for all. On every aspect, be it religious or cultural, or in getting basic amenities, education, and job opportunities, the prospects and status of the Muslim community have greatly improved in India vis-à-vis Pakistan and many other neighbouring countries. Minister Sitharaman highlighted the inclusivity of India and tolerance for every sect of every faith on the face of the earth.
Excerpts from the Nirmala Sitharaman interview
In an interview with Adam Posen, the president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), Ms Nirmala Sitharaman categorically stated that Muslims in India are doing much better than those residing in our North-Western neighbour Pakistan.
Mr. Posen asked the Minister about the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi’s membership and Western reports that Muslim minorities are being subjected to violence in India. To this end, Minister Sitharaman drilled logic into these agenda-setters in the western media.
She exposed the biassed reporting in Western media that paints a false perception of reality. Such write-ups claim that the Indian government is making the lives of Muslims in India difficult. However, the Muslim population in India is the second largest in the world, and the fact that their population is only growing underscores the fact that these write-ups couldn’t be more wrong.
India’s Muslim population has grown from 3cr in 1947 to 21 cr now, 7X Hindus from 30 cr to 120 cr, only 4X. Nobody has oppressed anybody otherwise 7X will not be there. If people want to better their economic condition elsewhere it is their choice! We are a free country https://t.co/3BApZ9BT4P
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) March 8, 2023
FM demolishes West’s ‘perception’ of Muslim persecution…
Minorities
Before 2014
20,000 skill trained
5% with Govt jobs
3cr scholarships
70% girl school dropout rateAfter 2014
2Mn skill trained
10% with Govt jobs
5cr scholarships
Free UPSE coaching
30% girl school dropout rate pic.twitter.com/a9OF3Xuesa— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) April 11, 2023
Sitharaman said, “India has the second-largest Muslim population in the world, and that population is only growing in numbers. If there is a perception, or if there is in reality, that their lives are difficult or made difficult with the support of the state, which is what is implied in most of these write-ups, I would ask, Will this happen in India in the sense that the Muslim population will be growing than what it was in 1947?”
#WATCH | "Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman responds to a question on 'violence against Muslims' in India and on ‘negative Western perceptions' of India pic.twitter.com/KIT9dF9hZC
— ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2023
There are a plethora of reports that clearly describe the plight of minority communities within Pakistan. The demographic numbers of these communities have been rapidly declining since partition and the materialisation of Jinnah’s evil plan. in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Minorities are routinely charged over minor allegations and receive grave punishments, even death penalties. An institutional framework is there to carry out the purge of these dwindling minorities and to exterminate them completely from Pakistan. Blasphemy laws are used to settle personal animosity, with victims presumed guilty immediately and, in many cases, lynched or churred to death.
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Minister Sitharaman hinted at the plights of minorities and how, in reality, state-sponsored terror is unleashed on minorities. In her reply, Ms. Sitharaman added, “As opposed to, let us say, I take the name of the country, and, therefore, the contrast can be sharper. Pakistan declared itself an Islamic country but said its minorities would be protected. However, every minority there has been dwindling or has been decimated. Even some of their Muslim sects have also been decimated.”
She further stated that violence prevails against Muhajirs, Shia, and every other group that is not accepted by the mainstream community, probably the Sunnis or the Punjabi elites. However, things are completely different in India, where anyone can find all Muslim communities going about their businesses and getting their children educated. Fellowships are being given by the government.
She dismissed the rhetorical allegations of victimisation of Muslims in India. She remarked that the claim of violence against Muslims is a fallacy. She asked a pointed question and stated, Tell me, between 2014 and today, has the Muslim population dwindled? Have the deaths in any particular community been disproportionately high?
Issuing an open invite she threw an humble challenge to such agenda driven intellectuals to visit India and prove their point. Ms Sitharaman even announced that she will host such intellectuals.
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Economic impact of negative perception
At the public event, Finance Minister also talked about carrying the needless burden of “Emerging markets”. She also apprised on the query whether these negative perceptions affect investment in India or capital flows. She stated that the answer to this lies with those investors who are coming to India, and they’ve been coming.
And as somebody who’s interested in receiving investments, she only said, come have a look at what’s happening in India, rather than listen to perceptions being built by people who have not even visited on the ground and who produce such baseless reports. She also lauded India’s remarkable post-pandemic recovery and rationalised it as the resilience of Indians that made them overcome challenges and even personal tragedies.
Furthermore, Finance Minister Sitharaman also urged the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to be more progressive and more fair. She chastised the WTO and asked it to give space to voices of the countries which have something different to say and not just hear but also somewhat heed.
Minister Sitharaman refuted the reports that claim FTA trade talks with UK have been halted. She stated that FTAs are being signed in a much faster way nowadays. We’ve just concluded one with Australia. Earlier we concluded with UAE, Mauritius and with ASEAN. We have extended the quota-free and tariff-free regime to Least Developed Countries.
Also read: Thanks, but no thanks: Nirmala Sitharaman dismisses the US salesmanship in their own backyard
In an interview with PIIE President Adam Posen, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman demolised the smear campaign of the west and shattered the negative picture of India being an intolerant society towards Muslims. The fact that every sect within Muslim community can only be find at peace in India speaks volume about the Indian culture and how uninformed, biased and ignorant these Western media and intellectuals are about India.
Minister’s open invite to them will in fact will be a life changing experience for them as they will find meaning in their life like other foreigners did earlier case being Will Smith, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg among others.
Otherwise their hollow reporting will keep inviting the fury of Indians who are nicely articulated by Ministers like Dr Jaishankar and Nirmala Sitharaman. Now, it is upto them to decide whether they want to be crisp fried like this or become enlighted like David Frawley.
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