World
Indian-American academics spar over Modi visit to Silicon Valley
By Arun Kumar
Washington: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Silicon Valley, a war of words has broken out between pro and anti Modi academics of Indian descent spread over major American universities.
The first salvo was fired by over 100 professors “who engage South Asia in our research and teaching”, asking US technology executives to be wary of supporting Modi’s Digital India initiative when he visits Silicon Valley on Sep 27.
The other group hit back with “a counter petition against the anti-Modi statement given by some faculty of South Asian studies” on Change.org, an American website providing a petition tool backed by nonprofits and political campaigns. By Thursday evening the counter-petition accusing the anti-Modi group of lacking “the slightest respect for facts and for academic integrity” had gathered 1108 supporters.
“The allegation that Narendra Modi ought to be viewed with suspicion, if not disdain, by business leaders in Silicon Valley because of surveillance implications in the Digital India initiative seems a desperate ploy rather than any genuine concern for India,” the counter petition said.
“Their attempt to invoke an admitted mistake on the part of the US government in denying Modi a visa as a ‘powerful signal’ is a stark case of false reasoning …and a deplorable attempt to exhume ugly lies about Modi’s attitude towards Muslims,” it said.
The “allegations that somehow academic freedom is under threat in India because of administrative changes at a couple of institutions are completely belied by the reality of what Indian citizens see in their news media every day,” the counter petition said.
“On the contrary, for all their talk about assaults on academic freedom, the signatories of the anti-Modi letter have never admitted that the subject of the greatest censorship and distortion in South Asian academics in recent years has been Narendra Modi,” it said.
Rejecting “the faculty statement against Modi in its entirety,” the pro-Modi group asked the other “to introspect, change, and for once seek to earn the trust and respect of the community in whose name they have been making a living all these years.”
Responding on the Academe Blog, the anti-Modi group said “despite the intimidation and harassment we have received at this blog site and elsewhere” their numbers had swelled from 125 to 135.
The group claimed that it “did not ask Silicon Valley companies not to invest in India; we asked them to consider carefully the terms of partnership with India.”
“The objective of our letter is to raise awareness and debate in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, of Mr. Modi’s record on key issues related to ‘Digital India,'” it said.
While “technology can unleash potent changes in society, many of them positive,” the group said, it can also pose a threat to privacy that “is certainly not unique to India.”
“We caution any Digital India plan to be cognizant of these risks, and to take effective, transparent steps to protect against them.”
“Given the Modi administration’s intolerance of dissent, its poor record on freedom of expression in general, and on freedom of religion in particular”, the group asked “What does ‘Digital India’ look like.”
Even as they raised questions about Digital India, the group in its original Aug 27 letter acknowledged that Modi, “as Prime Minister of a country that has contributed much to the growth and development of Silicon Valley industries, has the right to visit the United States, and to seek American business collaboration and partnerships with India.”
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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