Anti-Muslim Legislation Passes in India in the Backdrop of Modi and Khan’s Diplomatic Phone Call

The very much expected diplomatic phonecall between Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s to be Prime Minister, Imran Khan took place yesterday. Modi congratulated Khan on his party’s victory in the General Elections. The state heads also discussed the much-needed discourse of regional peace. In the phone call, Modi “reiterated his vision of peace and development in the entire neighborhood”, according to a statement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. The phone call masks a turbulent few months in Indo-Pak relations, with several incidents of cross firing across the LOC and tensions on the rise in Kashmir as well. The countries have fought three separate wars, with Pakistan marred by several military regimes that have contributed to tensions between the two states as well. With both being nuclear states, the stakes have always been particularly high, with international interests also at play in maneuvering the foreign policies of the countries. Modi and Khan’s phone call is a diplomatic formality and very much expected and sought by the international geopolitical arena.

Reactions to Imran Khan’s big victory in the elections were quite mixed in India.  

The Indian media started speculating the possible outcomes if Khan came to power in Pakistan, while the result counting was still underway. Where Imran Khan stated earlier that the relationship of the subcontinent is a two-way street and one that has badly impacted both, the Indian media reported that Imran only blamed them. This led to an all-day “Pakistan Round Table” as Indian journalists journeyed through time discussing Imran’s struggle and how he may not entirely be good news for India. On the other hand, some part of the public only had congratulatory sentiments for Khan. Signs cropped up in the city, hoping for peace between India and Pakistan.

Modi and Khan's phone call
A sign posted outside an Indian restaurant

The flip side to all the grand narratives of peace, however, is that a very controversial legislation was passed in India around the same time Modi and Khan’s phone call took place.

A legislation by Modi’s right-wing government has been passed to expel illegal Muslim immigrants from Assam. These immigrants came to India from Bangladesh to escape the war in 1971. Today, draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), published on Monday, includes only those able to prove they were in Assam before 1971. This potentially means about four million Muslims will be sent back to Bangladesh. While it is true that Bangladeshi immigrants have little to do with Pakistan, it is quite possible that the fact that it is Muslims being expelled will trigger anti-Modi sentiments in Pakistan. It is also true that Muslims aren’t unique to Pakistan alone. But recently the rise in support for the narrative of Pakistan being a “Muslim state” has only taken greater force. The concept of a pan-Islamic Muslim Ummah has only been shaped further over the years. Pakistani’s have voiced their concerns over the Rohingya Crisis and the plight of Syrians quite vociferously. However, considering Pakistan’s geopolitical position, it has not been able to show much resistance to these international causes. In the case of the Muslims in Assam, however, Pakistan is quite close and is likely to react negatively to this news. The usual jingoistic rivalry between India and Pakistan isn’t likely to help the cause of this potentially new era of peace either. But, one can only hope that we keep our religious inclinations aside and focus on stabilizing the political and economic relations between the two countries. This is not to say that the plight of the Muslims in Assam should be completely ignored. However, the bigger struggle for peace in the subcontinent should not be brushed aside entirely either. [socialpoll id=”2513782″]  

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *