PRIME Minister Narendra Modi delivered what he had promised Donald J. Trump. He turned his presidential visit into a memorable spectacle and also succeeded in making one of the most polarising American presidents in history feel immensely popular and loved after his two-day Indian sojourn. “It was an expression of real love. Everybody saw and witnessed that,” said Trump about the rousing welcome he received in Ahmedabad, Agra and Delhi.
But even as the bonhomous negotiations between the two leaders continued, communal riots raged in northeast Delhi, killing more than two dozen people and injuring hundreds. The ugly tension was stoked on the eve of Trump’s visit and reached a crisis point as he was in Delhi, raising questions about its motivation. Was this an attempt to embarrass Modi as he was feting this most honoured of guests?
Trump, anyway, refused to be drawn into any controversy. “As far as the individual attack, I heard about it but I didn’t discuss that with him [Modi]. That’s up to India,” he simply said at a press conference. He also gingerly dealt with a question on the controversial and divisive Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the fount of protests across India, and at the root of the Delhi riots.
But the issue of religious freedom did come up in Trump’s discussion with the PM. “I would say the prime minister… wants people to have religious freedom and very strongly. India has worked very hard to have great and open religious freedom,” Trump added.
This story is from the March 09, 2020 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 09, 2020 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Propaganda Files
A recent spate of Hindi films distorts facts and creates imaginary villains. Century-old propaganda cinema has always relied on this tactic
Will Hindutva Survive After 2024?
The idealogy of Hindutva faces a challenge in staying relevant
A Terrific Tragicomedy
Paul Murray's The Bee Sting is a tender and extravagant sketch of apocalypse
Trapped in a Template
In the upcoming election, more than the Congress, the future of the Gandhi family is at stake
IDEOLOGY
Public opinion will never be devoid of ideology: but we shall destroy ourselves without philosophical courage
The Many Kerala Stories
How Kerala responded to the propaganda film The Kerala Story
Movies and a Mirage
Previously portrayed as a peaceful paradise, post-1990s Kashmir in Bollywood has become politicised
Lights, Cinema, Politics
FOR eight months before the 1983 state elections in undivided Andhra Pradesh, a modified green Chevrolet van would travel non-stop, except for the occasional pit stops and food breaks, across the state.
Cut, Copy, Paste
Representation of Muslim characters in Indian cinema has been limited—they are either terrorists or glorified individuals who have no substance other than fixed ideas of patriotism
The Spectre of Eisenstein
Cinema’s real potency to harness the power of enchantment might want to militate against its use as a servile, conformist propaganda vehicle
