Russian Meddling with India – Was the 2014 Indian Election rigged?

By Dr. Mike Ghouse
“Do you see a correlation in getting the innocent Hindus to develop anti-Muslims sentiments through the communal riots, leading into to complete takeover of the Uttar Pradesh?  The likes of which were done here in the United States.  Did Russia pay for those riots through the Sangh Parivar organizations to weaken the Indian Democracy?  Both Modi and Trump have a special affection for Putin; and both of them want to emulate Putin, says the author.

Deepa Seetharam, a reporter from Wall Street Journal called me and asked if I spoke in a rally at White House in September 2016? I said no, and then she reminded me that my name was a listed as a speaker.

Seetharam wrote in WSJ’s October 30, 2017,  publication, “Representatives from the Facebook page “United Muslims of America” asked Mike Ghouse, an interfaith activist, to speak at a Sept. 3, 2016, event in Washington, D.C. billed as “a peaceful rally, to make mosques and their neighborhood safe!”

The group sent Mr. Ghouse placards they intended to use that included anti-Trump messages, causing him to back out, he said. “I said they should be more pluralistic, more inclusive because there’s no need to attack Trump,” Mr. Ghouse said. “They wouldn’t, so I didn’t go.” Obviously, I did not speak there either.

“Some events stoked public discord. At the rally in front of the Islamic center in Houston, about a dozen protesters gathered, some waving confederate flags or holding a sign that said “#WhiteLivesMatter,” according to video footage.”

Russians had an elaborate plan of pitting one American against the other, their end goal was to weaken democracies and create discord within each nation – their logic was; for Russia to shine, other countries have to be weakened, and Russia will stand out as the strongest nation in the world with a strong man running the nation. Putin is the Czar under his skin.

CNN reports that “80 times Trump talked about Putin.” Indeed, “Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump consistently broke from political orthodoxy in his effusive praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin. His glowing statements on Putin have become central in stoking the suspicion that he and his campaign were somehow connected to Russian interference in the election.”

Narendra Modi in Russia praises President Vladimir Putin’s family for sacrificing lives for the country. Modi praises Putin’s effort in convening 1st Tiger conservation Summit.

Both Modi and Trump think Putin is awesome, someone to be modeled after, as they want to dictate to the public.

 Senator John McCain said in an interview that Putin is determined to prove to the world that Democracies don’t work. Indeed, that is what the fascists think about democracies – they get their devoted slaves to do whatever they want – attacking others as Sikularist and calling the news that goes against them as fake news.  It’s amazing how many people buy that stuff in India and the United States.

Both Modi and Trump have resorted to divide and rule policies; they are determined to pit one Indian against the other in case of Modi, and one American against the other by Trump.

Russians staged “Anti-Trump rallies’ in the name of American Muslims. Perhaps, that may be the reason Trump is so anti-Muslim. Some of the rallies were held against Hillary to give the impression that it is the work of public, and some were devised against Trump just to make it look real.

What happens in India? Manohar Joshi writes in the Wire, “The fact that communal violence is rising in India is not hidden. Even the government acknowledges that there has been a steady uptick in communal incidents. In response to a question in parliament on Tuesday (February 6), minister of state Hansraj Ahir disclosed that as many as 111 people were killed and nearly 2,500 injured in 822 communal incidents in 2017, as compared to 751 incidents in 2016 that took the life of 97 people and 703 in 2016 when 86 were killed.”

Did the Russians stage these events? Did they pay these men to stage communal riots and murder people?

The fake encounters set up by the Gujarat police earned further support for BJP from an average innocent Hindu. Of course, Musharraf’s Kargil invasion strengthened the hold of BJP in power.

Putin failed in France and Germany but succeeded in Austria, India,United States and other nations.

Most Indians will resist the idea of an investigation; they simply do not want to believe that the Indian Elections may have been rigged. They are afraid of even exploring the possibilities. If they have lost their loved ones, they would want to know if Russia is paying the goons to create chaos. Is Yogi Adityanath paid agent of Russia?  The purpose of the investigation is to find the truths if they are clean, that would be good news. What if they were not? Should they continue in governing India and continue to pit one Indian against the other?

Do you see a correlation in getting the innocent Hindus to develop anti-Muslims sentiments through the communal riots, leading into to complete takeover of the Uttar Pradesh?  The likes of which were done here in the United States.  Did Russia pay for those riots through the Sangh Parivar organizations to weaken the Indian Democracy?  Both Modi and Trump have a special affection for Putin; both of them want to emulate Putin.

Neither Trump nor Modi was expecting to win; all the surveys, reports and polls indicated the win for Congress in India and Democrats in America. Both the men were surprised with the win, let alone land-slide wins.

The Russians publicized or financed at least 60 events – on all sides of most polarizing issues – before and after the 2016 election.  What about India’s 2014 election?

Is it worth investigating Russian hand in the mess that is created in India?   Should we save the nation from divisive men? These men will come and go in one or two terms, but it is the common men and women in India that will bear the brunt of their karma.

(The author is an Indian-American committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.  As we learn to respect the “otherness” of others and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of us, conflicts will fade and solutions emerge. He is the president of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC.)

COMMENTS

Dr. Ghouse’s article invited a quick reaction from a reader. Here is the unedited comment of Desh D Kapoor (desh.kapoor@gmail.com) received at 11.07 A.M., a few minutes after the article was published.

“This is just a piece of trashy writing based on nothing but conjectures and hyperbole!  Amazed.  In fact, if at all, with Cambridge Analytics (firm that helped Trump) working for Congress, 2019 will be where Foreign meddling (Mani Shankar Aiyar’s home meeting with Pakistani officials – a Trump Tower moment?!) will be tested.

“In fact, Modi has NEVER appealed on religious basis.  Even the honest Pakistani commentators say that clearly (check Najam Sethi’s analysis post 2014).  But how do you stop the ideologically compromised Indian Muslim commentators who would rather use religion for their own purpose than for the good of the community!  Reminded of the Tata Nano move, where Mamata created issues and Modi brought that in to Gujarat.  The villages near the plant were predominantly Muslim.  And within 4-5 years, their land prices went up 25 times making everyone a millionaire.  When indiscriminate development happens – there is no color.  But who can explain to the ideologically compromised who still hold Mamata as the paragon of virtues as she keeps everyone poor.

So excuse me, but this Machiavellian piece is not even worth the paper it was probably published on.”

********

We received a rejoinder from Dr. Ghouse at 12.30 P.M. nearly an hour and a half after Mr. Desh D. Kapoor’s comment, which is being published here, without being edited.

Desh,

“I wrote the essay as an Indian, and not as a Muslim. I wish you learn to hold on to your communalism and see the validity of the argument.

“Thank God, none of your relatives or mine were killed by the extremists in Muzaffar Nagar and other riots, but you should be human enough to have empathy for those whose families have suffered. If Russia had paid the goons to lynch and harass fellow Indians, then don’t you think it should be investigated? Are you against finding the truth?

“The success of a nation hinges on its two solid feet; economic prosperity which brings sab ka Vikas, not just mitron ka Vikas, and the other is sab ka saath, every Indian should feel included – that is a cohesive India, where no Indian feels excluded or lives in apprehension. Both the economy and social fabric must remain intact, one will not happen without the other, otherwise what we will witness would a langda India and ultimately everyone will suffer. Injustice to one is injustice to all.

“Mani Shankar Aiyar’s meeting at his home has been clarified, you still give it a religious color to it and Modi was too eager to paint it for electoral gains.

“A true patriot is the one who criticizes the government incessantly to keep them on the toes, on the other hand, if you toe the line of the government and kiss-ass of the leaders, you are not serving the nation.

“We need to rise about the pettiness and start looking to every Indian as an Indian and be patriotic Indians who think of making India and all her people successful and included.”

Mike Ghouse

Mr.  Desh D Kapoor commented at1.04 P.M. 02/19/ 2018. (Unedited)

“Mike, excuse me, but I don’t give you the right to create your own Halos and abuse others.  From where I see, you are always talking as a Muslim and not as an Indian.  Further, I don’t see you as a secular at all.  I think this self-congratulatory stuff should end if you even want to hold any dialog.  Just like ‘Allah is the ONLY God…” Or “Jesus is the ONLY Savior..” are a non-starter to any useful discussion and inherently Supremacist in ethos – your fetish for constructing your own halo and calling other communal is damning for any dialog and shows your real self.  So, time to stop the tricks! 

“Like I said, I have never ever seen Modi say anything even remotely communal.  If you have any evidence, then talk.  On the other hand, AIMIM, Congress, Samajwadi and Trinamool folks are rabidly communal.

“And that leads me to another point – criticizing someone’s Muslim appeasement is not communal.  To be an apologist for Jihad and acting as apologist for communal people in India is inherently Hinduphobic. 

“It is this realization that has led to the awakening in India.  What you see in the US, is also something similar.  Where the rabid apologists for Islamism in the US left are being trashed all over.  The problem in the US is a little different – because the challenge to Islamic Supremacism (which is what you represent however you may try to camouflage) is actually now coming from the White Supremacists, because left has chosen to back one end of Supremacism (between White/Christian Supremacism and Islamic Supremacism). 

“In India, most folks who feign Secularism like John Dayal and Taslim Rehmani – are either Christian fanatics (check his hinduphobic testimonies in US) or Islamic fanatics (check how Rehmani declares “We ruled over Hindus for 1000 years”).  And, most common laymen who were not into any religious debate are now waking up to the war of boiling the frog slowly. 

“So, nice try, Mike.  but you cannot construct your own Halo and wear it.” 

 

Dr. Mike Ghouse at 2.27 P.M. 02/19/2018 replied to Mr.Deepak. (Unedited)

“Desh,

“Here you go again, you are “assuming’ this, ” Just like ‘Allah is the ONLY God…” Or “Jesus is the ONLY Savior.”

“You also made an assumption I support ” AIMIM, Congress, Samajwadi and Trinamool folks are rabidly communal.” I don’t, they are indeed communal, except the Congress which has a few rats in it, but the party as such is secular.

“BJP, on the other hand, is very communal – of the 400 plus candidates they gave tickets to run as their member, there may be one or two Muslims. They found a way to dupe innocent Indians – play the religion card, they fooled once, but could not do it again, but they staged communal riots, ghar wapasi and other tricks to pit one Indian against the other.  You are a journalist, track down the history – the communal riots have occurred with the clear presence of RSS in the town, where they are not, there are fewer clashes.

“Let me be clear – the problem is not with Hinduism or Islam, Hindus or Muslims, it is the extremist positions that BJP has taken with their fascist political ideology – they want to force what you eat and what you believe down the throats.

“Modi’s fake reference to Pakistan collusion was communal politics, he generated ill-will among Hindus by the way he presented Mani Shankar Aiyar’s meeting

Modi wore every headgear wherever he went but clearly refused to wear a cap given by a Muslim.

“Would you agree that a cohesive India is what we need to work for – that requires that everyone minds his own business, and every Indian would be free to breathe, eat, drink, wear and believe whatever he or she wants to.  Is that the India you want?

“Mike Ghouse”

Mr. Desh D. Kapoor countered at 2.47 P.M. 02/19/2018 . (Unedited)

“Mike, Again – lots of assumptions and lots of “I am Good- You are bad” attitude.

  1. I never said that you support those parties. I said they are communal because they practice appeasement and their politics is purely casteist and communal.
  2. There is no reason to believe that BJP is communal. Looking at candidates purely from religious angle is a sickness and something that plays along with Jinnah’s idea of Equal representation which caused partition. So, not looking at representatives from their religious affiliation is the right and secular way.
  3. Ghar Wapasi is Communal and Conversions / Evangelism is Secular? Really?!! like i said stop the tricks, please. 
  4. RSS and riots: I have read about the riots pretty carefully and I don’t know of a single evidence to say that RSS started any riot.
  5. ban on Beef is a law that BJP did NOT create. It was and you are trying to say that someone should not follow the law? Are you for lawlessness?  I think you need to clear your stand please.
  6. Reference to Pakistan for Collusion by Congress – was “Communal politics”?!! Wow, Really?!! So you equate Pakistani with Indian Muslims?  From how I and most people saw it was – Pakistan means PAKISTAN.. the COUNTRY!  Period!  You see how your slip shows through?  :)

“I want a cohesive India.  But like MLK Jr said “I want White man to be my brother, not Brother in law”.  From where most Hindus see now – Kalma and the Creed are at the root of Communal violence in India and around the world.  Change the supremacism and peace will follow.  if you try to hood-wink and play such tricks and play vote bank politics (how many Muslims candidate type), then the vote bank of today will go against that politics. 

“I want an India where development is indiscriminate and blind to the religion or caste.  Where transformation is at the grass root.  And that is where Modi is working on.  So, I will back him to back the India that is the future of the world.  Not one of Congress or pseudo-Seculars who see Muslim communalism in references to Pakistan. Amazed honestly!!!”

The Indian Panorama invites readers to participate in the debate.

 

 

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