Very obvious, foreign media: India has "two faces" G20 | India | Faces
On June 11th, the website of the Spanish newspaper El Pais published an article titled "India's Moment of G20 Glory, But Unable to Cover up the Regression of Democracy", written by Guillermo Abril. The full text is excerpted as follows:
India is a country with obvious "two faces", a huge extreme subcontinent: on the one hand, it has the ability to send rockets into space, and on the other hand, it is a country with frequent train accidents.
This year, India is proud to become the rotating chair of the G20 and will host the G20 summit, where major global economic leaders will gather in India. One of the conference centers of the summit is located in a modern building in a wealthy area between embassies, but just a few meters away, at the corner of the same street, it is a shantytown where a group of poor children always fall in love with playing cricket on the street. They are hitting outside the entrance of an English school, but the school only accepts children from elite individuals.
India is celebrating on a large scale what it sees as a historic opportunity to put itself under the spotlight of the international stage. When it seeks to establish its position as a global pivot in front of the rest of the world - as a balance of China's power, maintaining friendship with Russia, strengthening relations with the West, leading the global South, and promoting the G20 summit in India, it is like successfully bidding for the Olympics. Ethnic symbols can be seen everywhere, almost always next to the portrait of Prime Minister Modi. His figure is everywhere: as long as you spend a few minutes on the streets of India, it's hard not to see the image of this leader of Hindu nationalism.
At the same time, numerous voices at home and abroad have condemned the anti liberal tendencies that have been brewing since the People's Party of India came to power in 2014. In this regard, the country seems to be torn apart by two opposing views: some people believe that everything is progressing smoothly and that India's democracy is secure and stable; Another group of people criticize the dangerous trend of the majority in Hinduism towards suppressing freedom and harassing ethnic minorities, especially Muslims.
Last Tuesday, Hash Waldan Shilindra, former Foreign Secretary and chief coordinator of India's G20 rotating presidency, stated in an interview that the upcoming G20 summit in September is "the largest international event held by India.". He believes that this is a "unique" opportunity to bring India's "narrative" to the global agenda and help India showcase its rich cultural diversity and heritage, as well as its tourism potential.
When asked about frequent train accidents and unequal challenges, he admitted that not everything is "perfect". "We are striving to transition from the developing country stage to the developed country stage, which means we must ensure that we not only develop our infrastructure and improve our quality of life, but also help hundreds of millions of people still living below the poverty line. We have come a long way."
Researcher Sushant Singh from the Indian Policy Research Center believes that frequent railway accidents have exposed a harsh reality. "Although the government focuses on bullet trains and high-speed trains, many poor people still ride old trains and rely on outdated railway networks for transportation. The government has done little to maintain the safety of these trains." He pointed out, "Although this place is attractive to the rich, the poor continue to suffer in this country."
Modi's visit to the United States is approaching, and this visit will help enhance India's international reputation. But a report released by the US State Department in May stated: "Over the course of a year, there have been numerous reports of law enforcement agencies committing violent acts against members of religious minorities in several states... Attacks against members of religious minorities have occurred in various states, including murder, assault, and intimidation."
However, the Indian government has repeatedly guaranteed that the country is a "vibrant democratic country" with a "deeply rooted democratic system" and a "highly independent" judiciary. Its constitution guarantees "religious freedom" and guarantees "basic rights" with the rule of law.
In New Delhi, people always organize protest activities near the Jenta Manta Observatory. Recently, the area has been blocked by the police, with roadblocks and metal detection doors, and the military can still be seen. Hundreds of women were shouting slogans, waving the Indian flag, and holding up the slogan "We are indigenous", which was often repeated. They are members of the Kuki tribe and live in Manipur, which borders Myanmar. That is the center of a complex wave of tribal violence, with recent violent incidents resulting in nearly 100 deaths, many houses being burned down, thousands of residents being displaced, and security forces attempting to regain control.
