In Ñspel: The Guardian view on Modi’s India: the danger of exporting Hindu chauvinism

The prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, addresses a BJP rally in Mehsana, Gujarat, before state assembly elections begin on 1 December. Photograph: Ajit Solanki/AP
Ɖ prîm̦inistr v India, Narendra Modi, adresz a BJP rali in Mesana, Gŭɉrat, bfr stet’smbli ilex́nz bgin on 1 Dsmbr. Foṭgraf: Ajit Solanci/AP

Ɖ Gardịn vy on Modi’z India: ɖ denjr v xportñ Hindu śoṿnizm

(Transcription of a Guardian editorial of 27 Nov. 2022)

Ny Déli’z foṛn poḷsi w’nt b insyletd fṛm its dmestic poḷtics, ẃć dīṃnîz India’z 200 miłn Mŭzlimz

Súnde 27 Nvmbr 2022

Ẃn ɖ YS stet dpartmnt rīsntli tld a cort ɖt ɖ Sǎdi Arebịn crǎnprins, Mhaṃd bin Salman, śd hv iḿṇti in a lwsūt ovr ɖ mrdr v ɖ jrṇlist Jmāl Cśogi, it portreid its arğmnt az a līgl n nt moṛl pziśn. Bî we v evidns, it pôntd t a rogz’ gaḷri v foṛn līdrz prīvịsli afordd similr pṛtx́n. Neṣlñ btwn Zimbabwe’z Roḅt Mgabe, hu, it wz clemd, asaṣnetd p’liticl rîvlz, n Cõgo’z Jozif Kabila, huz s’kṛtidītel wz akzd v asōltñ pṛtstrz in Wośñtn, wz India’z Narendra Modi.

Dropñ Mr Modi intu sć a list wz no axidnt. It z a rmîndr ɖt ẃl Ny Déli bascs in its dipḷmatic s’xes at rīsnt G20 n Cop27 sumits, it mt fînd ɖ inṭnaśnl invîrnmnt les acoṃdetñ f Mr Modi n hiz Hindu naśṇlist Baṛtīa Jnata parti (BJP) cntiny t str p hetrid t win ilex́nz. Wośñtn’z jsćr sjsts ɖt its stṛtījic partnrśp wɖ India canot b cmplitli insyletd fṛm dmestic p’liticl iśuz. Mr Modi’z fełr, az ćīf ministr v Gŭɉrat, t privnt anti-Mŭzlim rayts in 2002 ɖt left hundṛdz ded sw him dnaid a YS vīza, untl h bcem Indịn prîm̦inistr. Ɖ mesij fṛm Fogi Botm wz ɖt ɖ ban hd nt bn wɖdrwn, bt sspndd, bcz Mr Modi ran a cuntri ɖt Wośñtn wontd t d biznis wɖ.

India z cnsidrd a jioṗliticl cǎnṭweit t Ćîna n, in mni wez, an indispnsbl actr on ɖ wrldstej. Bt Mr Bîdn’z tīm apirz t si ɖ pziśn az mor cntinjnt, n wl b les tolṛnt ɖn ɖ Trump admiṇstreśn v Mr Modi’z atmts t rīmold Indịn dmocṛsi so ɖt Hinduz bcm consttyśṇli prieminnt, wɖ mnoṛtiz rdyst t secnd-clas sitiznz. Last wīc, ɖ YS Cmiśn on Inṭnaśnl Rlijsfrīdm akzd Ny Déli v a “cracdǎn on sivl ssayti n dsnt”, n “rlijsfrīdm vạleśnz”. Ɖ Indịn foṛn miṇstri hit bac at “bayst n inakṛt obẓveśnz”. Ofiślz wd d betr t rflect on ẃr ɖer cuntri z gwñ.

Ẃl a rîzñ pǎr, India’z asent dpndz on bildñ brijz wɖ uɖrz. Ɖ Midl Īst z a ci eṇji s’playr n rījnl tredpartnr ɖt s’ports 9 miłn Indịn wrcrz. India’z s’kṛti dpndz on Aṛb stets sstenñ a hostîl invîrnmnt fr terrizm. So ẃn BJP fuñśnriz md d’roġtri rmarcs abt ɖ prófit Mhaṃd ɖs sumr, Gulf stets lojd forml protests wɖ Ny Déli. Ćeisnd, ɖ Modi guvnmnt wz sprd intu ax́n – sspndñ wn parti ofiśl n xpelñ anɖr, az wel az seyñ it acordz “ɖ hîist rspct t ol rlijnz”.

Bland aśuṛnsz me nt b inuf. Ɖ intiṃdeśn v India’z 200 miłn Mŭzlimz z hîdñ in plen sît. Stet ilex́nz in Gŭɉrat bgin on Ʈrzde, wīcs aftr BJP ministrz apruvd ɖ preṃtyr rlis v 11 men cnvictd v rep n mrdr v Mŭzlim wimin n ćildṛn jrñ ɖ rayts. On ɖ campentrel last Frîde, India’z hom̦inistr clemd trubl-mcrz hd bn “tòt a lésn” in 2002. Ɖs sǎndd lîc a signl t Hindu mobz ɖt ɖe cd d az ɖe plizd.

Wuriyñli, ɖr r sînz ɖt ɖ cḿnl claśz sìn in India r biyñ copid elsẃr. In Lstr, mni sǎʈ Eźn Mŭzlimz – lîc ɖ siti’z Hinduz – hv Indịn rūts. Yt ẃn vayḷns iruptd btwn ɖz cḿṇtiz ɖs Sptmbr, esc̣letñ intu atacs on moscs n tmplz, ɖ Indịn hî cmiśn in Lundn cndemd ɖ “vayḷns prṗtretd agnst ɖ Indịn cḿṇti in Lstr n vanḍlîześn v preṃsz n simblz v [ɖ] Hindu rlijn”. Pôntidli, ɖr wz no condmneśn v Hinduz’ vayḷns agnst Mŭzlimz. Wns cerfl t pṛclem its sekḷrizm, India’z guvnmnt apirz cntnt t xport its Hindu śoṿnizm. Ɖt śd trubl evrwn.

Instroduction to Ñspel

"House by the Railroad," Edward Hopper, 1925

29/11/2022

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