Satish Bhatnagar’s article “Democracy Calling 911!” is a sad commentary on polarization in our home America, and our country of birth India. I know Satish and like him, also I believe Modi is good for India, so this criticism, gentlemen’s disagreement,  is about the exaggerations and fictions opined in the write-up.

If one believes the presence of an active opposition party is the first nail in the coffin of democracy there is no difference between freedom and captivity. This is not the first time an American president or an Indian prime minister has faced vehement political environment (e. g. Nixon, Indira Gandhi.)  Muller investigation is an example of the checks and balances that keep our president from becoming a dictator. The difference this time is an unwillingness to be objective on both sides, which is transitory. The majorities in both countries are not silent but are viciously vocal.

Trump is not doing anything for “good of the people.” Even his strongest supporters will admit that he works for himself in the White House, not the country. He has no principles, ideology, or strategy. He is just driven to get reelected. The daily charades of lies, vacillating policies, and his lack of respect for well-established institutions is appalling. His open and daily derision of judiciary, Congress, FBI, Federal Reserve, Military, and many other public offices prove his selfishness and bravado. There is no art or intelligence in Trump’s wars or policies, just acts of a stuntman. 

It is unfortunate, people who voted for Trump wouldn’t tolerate lies of any of their own family members and loved ones, but give him a free pass to get out of trouble. They justify Trump’s daily shenanigans by pointing to a few mistakes Obama made in eight years. They use false equivalency like addicts do drugs.

Narendra Modi is civilized and is a patriot. His attempt to reduce bureaucracy and corruption, build infrastructure, and social reform programs such as Swachh Bharat and Beti Bachao should be praised. There is no personal or financial interest in his conduct. However, he is silently moving India to make a Muslim minority of 180 million a non-entity. I understand him and Hindu sentiments are the result of the past history under Muslim rulers, and religiosity, zealotry, and extremism by some Muslims. Also, the appeasement of minorities by Congress is a significant factor. However, it is difficult to ignore the fact that outside of Kashmir very few Indian Muslims have become terrorists. Communal riots have been frequent but there has been little passivity by either Muslims or Hindus during those times.

 Modi does tolerate and encourage people like Amit Shah who is well known in Gujarat as a corrupt criminal, and groups such as Bajrang Dal. Amit Shah is Modi’s fixer like Michael Cohen was and Guiliani is of Trump. They do the boss’s dirty deeds.

There have been only a handful of cases of voter fraud in the US during the last many decades To say “illegally voting by their thousands in many states” is like saying Trump always tells the truth. Fraudulent voting in India is as common as mosquitoes, so no party has a monopoly on it. 

It is laughable when anyone states 95% of “legal and illegal entrants”  to America have been from countries that don’t value or respect the law or democratic traditions. Since Indians have a large share of legal immigrants to the U.S. after 1963, what does that make us? Aren’t we and other Asians a significant part of “demographic shift” in America? Oh! I forgot we are the good, desirable, citizens but the others, brown (Mexicans,) blacks, and Muslim immigrants are a menace. 

Obama didn’t change any laws of immigration for Muslim countries or specifically invited them. No proof exists of Muslim-Americans filling sleeper-cells to harm America or even validity of their existence. These are the talking points by talk-radio and Fox News and millions of bigots have been drinking that Kool-aid for years. They are here just as we are, to better their lives.

To think Muslims and Christians of the world believe Hindus and India should be ruled by proxy is naive and shows a lack of self-respect and self-confidence. A typical western  Christian knows very little about India and couldn’t care less who rule it. Yes, Pakistani Muslims do want to harm India but it’s a regional problem, not a worldwide phenomenon.

It’s sad Trump and extreme Hinduism brings out the worst of our bigotry, prejudices, and basic instincts in many of us ( (like Wahhabism does in Muslims)) and we lose all sense of proportion and history. Let’s not call 911 when we have a cold, not a heart attack. Democracy is not dying, it is being tested. This shall pass too.

Reports of democracy’s death are greatly exaggerated.

About the Author: Jagdish Patel, 74, has been a Las Vegas resident since 1982. He is a retired engineer and an entrepreneur. Jagdish has written a short self-help book and a memoir in English, and two novellas in Gujarati.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the above article solely belong to author Jagdish Patel, and are not an endorsement by vegasdesi.com. The editor is pleased to provide vegasdesi.com as a platform for the community members to engage in intellectual debate and discussions.

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