Faizah Gilani
Prime Minister Johnson’s visit to India has been cancelled just days before he was scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. Most important meetings were scheduled for Monday 26th April, but with Covid-19 running rampant and the capital in lockdown, this was expected.
India is seeing over 200,000 daily cases and with a double mutation variant found, the situation is deeply alarming. The UK government was initially keen for the visit to go ahead, with a shortened, Covid- secure visit, despite the soaring Covid cases.
But voices of opposition grew louder, with Labour party chiming in, calling on Boris Johnson to cancel. Shadow Communities Secretary Steve Reed had urged the Prime Minister to “set an example,” cancel the visit and conduct meetings with the Indian government via Zoom.
The UK government has now added India to its travel “red list,” which means that arrivals have to isolate in a quarantine hotel. The government had been facing calls for India to be placed on the red list, but it appeared to be reluctant at first. Interestingly, Pakistan, despite having lesser cases than neighbouring India, was placed on the red list much earlier on.
But this does not come as much of a surprise when we look at it from a trading perspective. The UK is keen on courting India post Brexit, looking towards strengthening economic and strategic ties. This is why the much-hyped visit to India was so important for Boris Johnson. This was supposed to be Johnson’s first major overseas visit since taking office in 2019, part of his vision for a ‘global Britain.’
On the visit, Johnson and his counterpart, Narendra Modi were to sign an enhanced economic partnership agreement, along with a 10-year bilateral “roadmap,” already set out to strengthen ties and cooperation. It is also interesting to note that Modi has been invited to G7 in Cornwall, which also includes South Africa, South Korea and Australia, aiming at creating a democratic counterweight to China.
With many analysts viewing India as an emerging superpower, the UK is keen on tapping into India’s huge market. And of course, there is the issue of China. Mistrust and the threat of China has seen the UK and India grow closer. Things have been frosty between India and China ever since escalation at the border. The UK would want to take advantage of their deteriorating relationship and prop up India as the answer to China’s growing dominance.
But in the midst of the UK cosying up to India, some questions have been raised over the extent Boris Johnson’s government is willing to go in order to push for closer trade. Is the UK willing to sidestep Narendra Modi’s authoritarianism that is eroding democracy, the growing hostility towards minorities and the Kashmir dispute? So far, the answer is yes. There is nothing on the UK’s part to suggest that the government is concerned with India’s shift from a secular state to a country that is driven by a Hindutva ideology.
Narendra Modi enjoys a superstar like status among his base and the media fawn over their Prime Minister, rather than hold him to account. He is seen as the leader that will elevate the country to superpower status. Modi may have qualities that could bring India into a position of power and influence on the global stage, but the toxic nature of his politics and the negative impact that it has had on India as a society, should not be overlooked.
Under Modi’s leadership, minorities have been targeted, in particular Muslims. His controversial CAA (citizens amendment act) is seen by many as discriminatory towards Muslims, which led to major protests within the country. Adding fuel to fire, members from Modi’s party continue to make Islamophobic and inflammatory comments directed at the country’s Muslim citizens.
Prime Minister Modi’s silence over his party promoting hate makes his complicit. Under his leadership, targeting minorities has been normalised and it has emboldened those that harbour extreme views. Modi’s government has also exposed itself once again during the farmers’ protest with its authoritarian tactics against the protestors.
And of course, Modi’s dangerous designs in Indian Occupied Kashmir were clearly visible after the revocation of Article 370. He has shown no interest in resolving the dispute and India continues to reject the idea of dialogue. Intolerance and aggression have become a regular feature under Modi’s leadership and sadly, the sane voices have been drowned out by the noisy, nationalistic drum beaters.
But does this bother Boris Johnson? Not really. There is too much at stake for the UK government and the moral compass does not work under these circumstances. What India gets up to in its own backyard is none of their concern.
The Johnson government, however, should be mindful of the large Kashmiri diaspora within the UK, to whom he has a moral responsibility, and whose grievances should be understood and taken into consideration. To its credit, the diaspora, people from all walks of life, remain vocal over the Kashmir issue and engage with their local MPs to raise the issue of Kashmir within Parliament. But it must be disheartening to see their government completely dismiss Kashmir out of fear of rubbing Modi’s government the wrong way.
The present is favourable to India, and Modi’s government has the upper hand. It is not seeking attention from the UK; it is quite the opposite. The plight of the Kashmiri people living in Indian Occupied Kashmir is not on the agenda and this was made perfectly clear back in February.
At the UN Human Rights Council, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab mentioned the “appalling treatment” of the Uighur Muslims and people in Hong Kong. As expected, there was no mention of the gross Human Rights abuses carried out within Indian Occupied Kashmir, despite UN resolutions on the dispute.
Some may argue that if not Kashmir, then India’s steep decline towards an authoritarian state and the government’s Hindu nationalistic agenda might create hurdles for the UK government down the line. But even that seems to be unlikely to cause major issues. We have witnessed a downward spiral in India in recent times, but Boris Johnson’s government has refrained from saying anything that would create friction.
This approach is similar to other western governments that continue to sell arms to Saudi Arabia despite the war in Yemen, and the treatment of Uighur Muslims was never raised until China’s dominance became too much to handle. Governments around the world react on what suits their agenda and how it benefits their vested interests. The UK is no exception. Where there is money, investment and opportunities involved, silence is easily bought.
The writer has studied History and Politics at Queen Mary, University of London. And Near and Middle East studies at SOAS, University of London.
