By Aravind Bhatikar

NARENDRA Modi’s US visit was unabashedly touted to project him as a global leader, by the Indian “bonded” media. The real implications of the events could be heard and seen only on independent YouTube commentary by the likes of Ravish Kumar, Punya Prasun Bajpayi, Ajit Anjum, Abhisar Sharma, Deepak Sharma, Ashok (Tiger) Wankhede, etc.
Modi had gone on a “Working State visit” and not a “State visit.” The latter category of visit is reserved for the head of a State and not for the head of a government. That is the reason why no high-ranking representative of the US government was there to receive Prime Minister Modi in New York where PM Modi landed first in the US on June 20, 2023.
There is very little discussion in the bonded media on pros and cons of the visit or the real benefit of the visit to India. It goes without saying that USA will be the real beneficiary of the visit. If that were not so, they would not have invited Modi for a Working State visit.
The visit will be remembered for the following events :

1. Letter from 75 members of the US Congress asking President Biden to raise with Prime Minister Modi issues like human rights, discrimination on the basis of religion, suppression of press freedom, misuse of regulatory agencies and other such excesses taking place in India today.
2. Reluctance of Prime Minister Modi to face American press and his irrelevant and untrue replies to one of the two questions which the press was allowed to ask him. Modi’s assertion that all Indian citizens had equal rights irrespective of their religion, caste, region, etc, was far from the truth, as revealed by the CAA/NRC misadventure of his government.
3. Again, his mention of the Indian Constitution will not carry conviction anywhere in India and with NRIs abroad in the light of his recent misuse of “Bajrang Bali” in the Karnataka Assembly election.
4. End of Modi’s visit. The survey revealed that 40% of the respondents did not know who Modi was. 37% of the respondents opined that Modi could not be relied on by USA for taking the right decisions whereas only 21% opined that USA could depend on him for taking the right decisions.
5. There were unprecedented protests against Modi’s visit to USA. Public descended on streets with “Go back placards.” There were huge LED screens showing videos of police excesses in India.
   There are reportedly 4.5 million people of Indian origin in USA who are in regular touch with their families in India. They are all aware of the happenings in the country under the reign of the Modi-Shah duo. The issue is not whether they support the current state of affairs in India or not. But, Modi’s failure to give diplomatic answers to the questions raised by Sabrina Siddiqui of Wall Street Journal in the White House press conference will not go down well with any Indian anywhere in the world.
   Finally, a humble suggestion! Modi should talk only in Hindi!