India's Foreign Ministry Now Openly Sponsoring Overseas BJP Events, Breaking All Conventions

via: Sabrang India - 12 June 2016

External Affairs Ministry Sponsors BJP Abroad, Crosses the Line: Yechury

In a strongly worded letter in his capacity as member of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of External affairs, Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the CPI-M and member of the Rajya Sabha has objected to the ministry, along with Indian High Commission, Ministry of Ayush and the ICSSR)'s support and sponsorship of the ‘Overseas Friends of BJP Malaysia.’ The poster released by the OF BJP (Overseas Friends of the BJP) Malaysia, advertises the the observations of the International Day of Yoga on June 19, 2016 (see image).

Demanding a thorough investigation into the matter, the letter, a copy of which is available with Sabrangindia says that while “Supporting activities abroad that strengthen public opinion in those countries about India and spread goodwill is understandable. But so far as I have known, the Government of India or its Commissions abroad or any of its other arms and institutions do not support the declared activities of political parties abroad. There have been complaints in the past of how the ruling party at the Centre has used subtle methods to promote the activities of their party's affiliates in these countries. But what we see here is a brazen effort and the public declaration that a voluntary unofficial event is being officially supported by your ministry, its mission in Malaysia and other organisations of the government of India.”

Yechury has requested a response to the concerns raised as also the matter to be placed on the agenda for discussions at at the next meeting of the Consultative Committee. This comes up at a time when the RSS-driven Cetral government is believed to be considering announcing that membership of the RSS and Jaamat-e-Islaami does not preclude enrolling in government jobs as public servants.

This development comes fast on the heels of news reports, dated June 10 that said that the government was seriously considering the repeal of a 1966 law,
reiterated subsequently in 1975 and 1980, requiring those joining government service to declare that they are not affiliated to either Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or Jamaat-e-Islami. Both the countries prime minister, Narendra Modi and home minister, Rajnath Singh are primary members of the RSS that was a banned organisation following the assassination in cold blood of Mahatma Gandhi. It was the Gujarat government under Keshubhai Patel first, in 2001, that had sought to legitimise RSS membership for government servants.

Several state governments under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in fact a parliamentary wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have already reversed this central government law, be it Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh or Gujarat.

References:

1. Sardar’s tight leash on Sangh chief Guru Golwalkar’s pledge of good conduct fails to impress government
2. The Ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is both Hate-Ridden and Supremacist - Part 1
3. CPIM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on the RSS

MODI's show at Madison Sq Garden: hindutva driven and inward looking, communaly inclined circuits in the diapora in the US were mobilised look at the list

List of Indian American organizations given tickets to attend Narendra Modi’s reception at Madison Square Garden in New York
September 22, 2014

Diaspora from 48 American states, 5 Canadian provinces to attend.

By Sujeet Rajan

NEW YORK: The public reception for the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Madison Square Garden on September 28th, organized by the Indian American Community Foundation (IACF), will have 18,500 people attend, apart from the staff and volunteers. The event has been oversubscribed by more than 10,000 people.

“Last minute requests to attend the event are coming in at the rate of hundreds per day,” said IACF President, Dr. Bharat Barai.

According to IACF, almost all of the states of India will be represented at the event.

“The diaspora will be traveling from forty eight American states and five Canadian provinces to participate in the event,” said IACF spokesperson Anand Shah.

Below is the full list of Indian American organizations who requested and were issued tickets by the IACF, and obtained by The American Bazaar. A big surprise is the omission in the list of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), an organization dominated by Indian Americans of Gujarati origin:

Overseas Volunteer for Better India
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA
OFBJP USA
Gujarati Samaj of New York
Indo American Seniors Organization of New Jersey
Param Shakti Peeth of America
Jain Center of New Jersey
US India Political Action Committee
NAMO BJP
Telugu Association of North America
Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America-National
BAPS SWAMINARAYAN SANSTHA
The Hindu Student Council of NYU
Global Indians for Bharat Vikas
Indian American Intellectuals Forum Inc.
India Association of Long Island Inc.
Indian Students Association at Columbia University
Vaishnav Temple of New York
North America Telugu Society
Hindu Center Inc.
Hindi USA
Jain Temple of New York
North American Telugu Association
Network of Indian Professional
American Telugu Association
Society of Indo American Engineers and Architects
Indian Cultural Center of South Jersey
BMM North America
Graduate Indian Students Association
India Association of Rhode Island
IIT Bombay Alumni Association Greater New York Chapter
Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America
NYU Shruti
Long Island Gujarati Cultural Society
Rajasthan Association of North America
Asian American Senior Association of Sayreville
Bhartiya Senior Citizens of Chicago
Rana Samaj USA
Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA
Sanskriti of NJ SevaPgh.org
Vallabhdham Temple
VYOUSA, Inc.
Dawoodi Bohra Community
India Cultural Association of Central Jersey Capitol Area Telugu Society
Gujarati Literary Academy of North America
Maharashtra Foundation
Vedic Heritage Inc.
VHP of America CT chapter
Patidar Cultural Association of USA
Gujarati Samaj of Lehigh Valley
KCO-Brindavana
Indo American Pharmaceutical Society
Gujarati Samaj of Metropolitan Washington DC
New York Tamil Sangam
American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin
TLCA AIANA
Indo American Senior Citizens Association of Bucks County
Kannada Koota, New York Inc.
The American India Public Affairs Committee
Indian Cultural Group
Jai Bharat Dhol Tasha Pathak USA
Saurashtra Patel Cultural Samaj
Anjumane Badri NewYork (Dawoodi Bohra)
Telugu Fine Arts Society
America Tamil Sangam
Brahmin Society of New York
Lad Vanik Samaj of North America
The Hindu Temple Society of North America Gujarati Samaj of Delaware Valley
Divya Jyoti Foundation Inc.
India First Alliance
Indian Business Association of NJ
Society for Promotion of Indian Culture and Experience (United Nations Staff Recreation Council)
OFBJP Sewa International
IASCAOHC
Kashmiri Overseas Association
New England Marathi Mandal
SAIDATTAPETHAM
Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York
Sardar Patel Gujarati Samaj
Tricity India Association
Albany, NY VIBHA-Help Them Grow
Aapi Brahmin Samaj of USA
Indian American Forum Inc.(IAF)
Shree Umiya Parivar of USA
Asian Indian Heritage Association
Humvatan
Sindhi Association of New Jersey
South Gujarat Patel Pragati Mandal
Asian Indian Americans of Central Pennsylvania
Hindu American Foundation
Indo-American Arts Council
Isha Foundation
Bhavsar Samaj of North America
Sewa International USA
Dada Bhagawan Schchidanand Songh
Lead India
2020 Foundation,Inc.
Marathi Vishwa NJ
Indo-American Cultural Foundation of Central Jersey
India Society at Stony Brook
Indian Diamond and Colorstone Association
National Federation of Indian American Associations
OFBJP Canada Toronto
The Indo American Senior Citizen Association of Pa.
Jain Samaj of New York
Pennsylvania Telangana Association
NCAIA
Orissa Society of Americas NY/ NJ Chapter
Sanskar
Global Organization of People of Indian Origin
Indian American Forum for Political Education
International Swaminarayan Satsang Organization
Lions Clubs International
Rutgers Indian American Students
Gayatri Chetna Center of New Jersey
Jackson Heights Indian Merchants Association
Federation of Jain Associations in North America
Konkani Sabha KPCA
Shri Navagraha Devasthanam of NA, Inc
Friends of India Society Inc.
Hindu Temple of Tristates
Saurastra Samaj of Toronto
South Asian Association of Lancaster
The Association of Indians in America-NEC
Federation of Indo Americans of N. California
Indo American Senior Citizens of Atlantic County
People for Loksatta
Uplift Humanity India
Albany Telugu Association
Federation of Asian Indian Association
Shri Sanatan Mandir
Sri Aurobindo Yoga Foundation of North America
Central Jersey Indian Lions Club of Iselin
Ekal CT
India Cultural Society
Indian SA
Indo American Cultural Society of North America, Inc.
National Federation of Indian American Associations
New Jersey Tamil Sangam
India American Cultural Association
Indo-American Festivals, Inc.
Kalabharathi PMVS-VRAJ
Sikh Association of Baltimore
AAANA
Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
Ayyappa Seva Sangam New York
Indian Jewish Congregation of USA
Samskrita Bharati, USA
Shibaranjani, Inc.
Vegetarian Vision Inc.
Arya Samaj of NJ
CLPSS
Cultural Organization of Bengal
Indian Association of Greater Somerset County
N.AJ.C. Chamber of Commerce
NIAPPI
Art of Living
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, USA
DwarkamaiI nc
India Association of Virginia
Jeevan-Jyoti Inc.
Prashanthi Charitable Services
Bridgewater Seniors Council Canada India Foundation
Gujarati Association of Western Mass.
Indo- Canada org
Jalaram Sevasamaj
Sai Temple PA
Shradhaa Foundation
Shree Rang Avdhoot Parivar (Nareswar)
USA Association of Indian in Construction Industry
Edison Cricket Club
NAMAM
Om KriyaYog
Rajasthan Association of Jains in America
Saptak Music
Saraswati Cultural Association of Jersey City
Shree Siddhi Dham Mandir. Inc.


source: http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2014/09/22/list-indian-american-organizations-given-tickets-attend-narendra-modis-reception-madison-square-garden-new-york/

Report from RSS's UK branch HSS on its 21 september event with various from the hindutva circuit

India: Hindutva leaders Sadhvi Rithambara, Ram Madhav (RSS) were in the US working with OFBJP preparing for the Modi show

Business Standard
Nitin Sethi | New Delhi Sep 27, 2014
Last Updated at 10:19 PM IST
It wasn't a cakewalk for Madison event organisers
NRI businessmen, volunteers of Overseas Friends of BJP and Hindu leaders put in efforts to make Modi function a success
The $1 million-plus event at the Madison Square Garden for Prime Minister Narendra Modi has had to overcome all kinds of legal and logistical wrangling to be pulled off. It's taken the might of volunteers, non-resident Indian (NRI) businessmen of all kinds, religious Hindu leaders, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadre and leaders in the US and India to make sure the 19,000-capacity event on Sunday is a resounding success.

Upon instructions from 'Delhi', the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) formed a new a politically and religiously neutral entity 'Indian American Community Foundation (IACF)' to hold the event. The entity, it was decided, would be dissolved after the event. But the Madison Square Garden (MSG) authorities would not give it permission to book for Modi's event. In stepped an event management company Poojanka Entertainment, run by one, Bharat Jotwani. "Several other organisations could not get the place but with my company's 15 years of experience, the MSG authorities were happy to provide it. I am very glad to be part of this landmark event for the prime minister as a volunteer and a member of the committee organising it," said Jotwani. IACF signed a back agreement with Poojanka Entertainment to then run the event.

Jotwani's name found its way in Indian media last year with singer Sonu Nigam claiming underworld kingpin Chhota Shakeel had threatened the former must work with Jotwani. But Jotwani told Business Standard it was all a dirty game played by his rivals to stop him from gaining more business.

The IACF faced a different niggling legal trouble though, while organising the event. It got a legal notice from a group called the National Indian American Public Policy Institute, another NRI group in the US, threatening to sue IACF on being blocked from buying advertising space for the event and patron sponsorship. It specifically referred to actions of Dr Bharat Barai, claiming they fell afoul of US laws. Business Standard couldn't reach Barai despite repeated attempts, but Jotwani, said the group filing the case have enough credibility to start a lawsuit. "We have organised this most cleanly, legally and professionally," he said.

IACF, its organisation, also gained a lot from the organisational and cadre strength of OFBJP and other affiliates. Chandrakanta Patel, head of OFBJP and chairman of IACF, said many karyakartas (workers) of OFBJP had volunteered through Modi's trip and at the event to make it a success. "It's a huge responsibility and all of us are working day and night to make it a success," he said. "Of course, OFBJP has played a major role but all Indian diaspora is joining in," he added.

While BJP leaders Vijay Jolly and RSS/BJP leader Ram Madhav were in the US to prepare the grounds for Modi's visit too, another help came from Sadhvi Rithambara. After years of being unable to visit the US, she finally made a trip to the country, in time to hold seven meetings under the aegis of Param Shakti Peeth of America and the Param Shakti Peeth of East Coast. Virendra K Labroo of the East Coast group said he was involved in the two meetings in New Jersey which pulled in almost 800 people. "We expect 75-85 per cent" of these to attend the MSG event. Those who hold Pujya Didi Ma (Sadhvi Rithambara) in high regard also feel the same for Prime Minister Modi."

Patel said Rithambara will also be part of the MSG event. "Both (Sadhvi and Modi) have a good relationship, she shall be there as an observer," he told. While Patel said she had made her own plans to come to the US, Labroo said she had been asked by the organisers of the event to come though said his organisation itself was not so closely involved in the event.

To go by Jotwani, all the collective efforts seem to have worked out well. "We have a 16,000 waiting list of guests and are going to give away 1,000 tickets by lottery on Sunday. Our voluntary financial contribution target was topped two days ago," he said.

Reena Pushkarna of Overseas BJP Israel Chapter Serves Biryani to Israeli troops

Reena Pushkarna, who runs a chain of tandoori restaurants in Israel, set up a make-shift kitchen and rustled up 400 kg of biryani near the Gaza border where Israel and Hamas have been fighting for almost a month.

Pushkarna, who made Tel Aviv her home 30 years ago, and her crew of four chefs served the biryani to more than 2,000 Israeli soldiers

She is the convener of the Israel chapter of the Overseas Friends of BJP and flew down for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony in May.

readmore at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/in-the-shadow-of-war-indian-offers-biryani-comfort-to-israeli-troops/article1-1248694.aspx

A report on the Hindu nationalist circuit in the US

released by sacw.net - 1 July 2014
http://www.sacw.net/article9057.html

US chai fundraisers help finance Modi wave

Well-organised support among Indian-Americans for BJP's prime ministerial candidate is eclipsing that of rival parties.
Purvi Thacker Last updated: 25 Apr 2014

NRIs gathered at the start of the Hindu New Year to campaign for Modi in New Jersey [Purvi Thacker/ Al Jazeera]

New Jersey, USA - Indian-American supporters of Narendra Modi, the Hindu nationalist politician, are vigorously campaigning to propel the former tea vendor to a leading position in the race to head the world’s largest democracy. Momentum in the US among fans of Narendra Modi – the candidate of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) and one of the most controversial figures of his generation – offers key insights into the religious nationalist's campaign. Analysts believe impetus generated by the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) for Modi – who has been denied entry to the US for a decade – eclipses that of campaigns backing the ruling Congress Party and the upstart Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), whose anti-corruption platform gained it a surprise victory in the New Delhi assembly elections last December. "OFBJP's local efforts are helping to create an echo chamber of inevitability towards Modi," said Milan Vaishnav, South Asia researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC. "There is definitely an 'enthusiasm gap' between the OFBJP's level of enthusiasm and spirit and that of other political parties." Pogrom accusations OFBJP support for Modi in the US obeys a broader strategy to redefine Gujarat chief minister from religious hardliner linked to one of his country's worst episodes of Hindu–Muslim carnage, into economic miracle worker. Modi was accused of being a conspirator in the 2002 anti–Muslim pogrom during which 1,500 people died in India's most industrialised state under his watch, an accusation Modi has denied. In March, 500 Indian-Americans gathered at the start of the Hindu New Year to campaign for Modi in a posh township in New Jersey where the OFBJP had organised one its largest fundraisers. Popularly known as "chai pe charcha" – or "discussion over tea" – the campaign highlights the politician's trajectory from humble railway tea vendor to political frontrunner as about 800 million Indian voters go to the polls. "He will take India to the level of Vishwa Guru [world leader]," said OFBJP President Chandrakant Patel, one of Modi’s foremost backers in the US. Patel – a long-standing activist in right–wing Hindu groups and active within the OFBJP for 15 years – is convinced a "Modi Tsunami" will generate an electoral landslide certain to install him as prime minister. "Modi's strength lies in putting the nation first," he added. Economic hopes Modi's meteoric rise through the ranks of the BJP reflects a radical shift in the politics of India whereby voters seem prepared to overlook his potential to polarise in exchange for the prospect of steering the country into the first world. Economic issues have overtaken ideological differences for many people, providing space for religious ideologues to campaign on a platform of putting the economy – and Hinduism – first. Jayesh Patel, a former OFBJP president, was confident Modi would introduce voting rights for non-resident Indians, improve consular services and boost India's investment climate. 101 East - Modi the Messiah? (Promo) "Modi will even help India secure a permanent seat in the United Nations – wait and watch," he added. "Narendra Modi is a visionary," said Narain Kataria, president of the Indian American Intellectuals Forum, who added that the BJP figurehead will enshrine "Hindu values" if he comes to power. "Hindus are secular by nature and since Modi is a proud Hindu, he is secular too." Secularism is a highly politicised theme in India which many Muslim Indians fear could lead to an imposition of majoritarian Hindu ideals on the country that disregard minority rights. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen is among those who have expressed unease at Modi's understanding of secularism, saying he would not like a prime minister who generates concern and fear among minorities. Stoking such fears are the links between some BJP activists in India and abroad with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu right–wing paramilitary organisation associated with anti-Muslim violence. Siddharth Varadarajan, a journalist and Senior Fellow at the Centre for Public Affairs and Critical Theory, New Delhi, said: "When Hindutva-oriented politicians or activists make claims like 'Hindus are secular by nature' or that 'India is secular because the majority of its people are Hindu', what they are really saying is that people of other religions are not secular by nature and that if the people of other religions became the majority, India would cease to be secular. "Both of these claims, paradoxically, show the communal thinking of those arguing along these lines. Such people have no concept of civic values, or of citizenship in which the identity of citizens – their religious beliefs, linguistic, caste, ethnic affiliations, gender or sexual preference – have no bearing on their rights and responsibilities." Rival campaigns Sadanand Dhume, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, said anecdotal evidence suggests that most of the funds raised overseas have been channeled towards the BJP and the AAP, although the latter's campaign has recently lost steam. "But it's highly unlikely that overseas funding constitutes a large proportion of campaign funds for an established national party such as the BJP," he said. It's highly unlikely that overseas funding constitutes a large proportion of campaign funds for an established national party such as the BJP Sadanand Dhume The 18 OFBJP chapters comprising more than 5,000 members across various US cities have organised over 200 tea parties like the New Jersey event but, while there is vocal support for Modi, support for Congress and other rival parties has appeared tame. Vaishnav of the Carnegie Endowment explains the "enthusiasm gap" that he detects in favour of Modi on the basis of the emails he has been receiving about OFBJP’s activities. By contrast, he has heard little from the Indian National Overseas Congress INOC (I) about their activism - suggesting a lack of engagement. The INOC (I) website has scant evidence of up-to-date or coordinated activity, its Facebook page has barely 200 likes, and there has been no Twitter activity. Its US members join chapters that accord with their Indian state of origin, and sporadic updates suggest this division has made their activities and lobbying initiatives more individual. The Congress Party campaigners working in the US refused to comment on the record about their efforts. AAP’s outreach coordinator, Pran Kurup, said the organisation adheres strictly to India’s foreign contribution regulations. "We want to help change the politics of India, it's not about the business of getting seats and procuring a majority," he said. Kurup said that AAP volunteers overseas have switched to a digital platform where they are fervently organising online discussions on youth employment, corruption, rising prices and administrative grievances, an effort he compares to a startup. "It's a bit chaotic and unstructured, but there is a common objective without a top-down approach," he said. Heady symbolism These rival parties are clearly finding it hard to trump the religious symbolism and nationalistic imagery of the BJP that was much in evidence in New Jersey, where the occasional patriotic song was interrupted by a priest invoking the gods. The enthusiasm this generates was clearly in evidence among participants such as Arvind Patel, owner of Jersey City based Rajbhog Foods. "I am the sole provider of snacks and tea for such gatherings and all the money comes out my own pocket," he said. Patel has distributed about a million packets of Indian snacks, aptly named "Modi Magic", and had customised Styrofoam teacups with campaign stickers for the event. As the grand finale by traditional "kathak" dancers graced the stage at the Sheraton Hotel, the crowd chanted in unison: "Let us help make an India that we would wish to go back to." Follow Purvi Thacker on Twitter. Source: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/04/us-groups-overseas-funds-modi-2014417102320868846.html

India: Overseas Friends of BJP meet in Delhi elicit NRI support for its “Mission 272+” (report in The Hindu)

. . . the BJP pulled out all the stops to elicit NRI support for its “Mission 272+”.

The mood was celebratory at the congregation, as NRIs and visitors, including the former Prime Minister of Fiji, Mahendra Chaudhary, and England’s Lord Rajinder Paul Loomba, listened to the BJP leadership urging it to forge resources to help “Narendra Modi become PM.”

The Aam Aadmi Party’s success story, buttressed by overseas support, in the Delhi Assembly elections is not lost on the BJP. But, it declared, it was not reaching out for funding, but for support. “We are not doing this for money, I personally think raising funds from abroad is not taboo, but we are not collecting money from PIOs,” said BJP overseas affairs convener Vijay Jolly.

Spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said the BJP accepts funds only from those who hold an Indian passport, pay through cheque and have an account in an Indian bank.

Indians living abroad are not a new constituency for the BJP, but it wants to sharpen its campaign to reach out like the AAP had done. Apart from Rs. 6 crore that came from foreign contributions, the AAP benefited from canvassing on social media, spearheaded by Indians abroad. “The BJP reaches out on the promise of investment opportunities and enterprise, unlike the AAP which is seeking change,” said sociologist Dipankar Gupta.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/after-aaps-success-bjp-fights-for-nri-mindspace/article5545242.ece?homepage=true

USA - India: overseas BJP arranged the private jet to fly american conservatives for Modi Darshan

From: The Times of India

RUMINATIONS
Mavericks to Modi’s rescue
Chidanand Rajghatta

30 March 2013, 06:47 AM IST

The word maverick is derived from an American cattle rancher named Samuel Maverick who was best known for NOT branding his cattle at a time when marking them for ownership was the done thing. Those wild west days are gone. In recent times, in the days of corporate farming, young calves are branded or tattooed or electronically tagged by the hundreds and thousands so that they can be herded together easily. There are very few mavericks, and the concept of open range or free range is rare in industrial age and industrial scale farming.

The word itself has migrated to other fields, particularly public life, where one hears often of maverick politicians. It simply means he or she is an individualist who doesn’t toe the party line. Even this species has become increasingly rare. In democracies such as India and the US, party cadre typically falls in line, sometimes under the expedient excuse of consensus, under an expansive platform . It helps to stay in the fold, especially when one needs the party’s image, organisational support , and its bankrolling to get elected. So party panjandrums swear by the party, its ideology and manifesto, and digressions are rare.

In the US, upwards of 90 per cent of lawmakers are returned to Congress with metronomic regularity in election after election, usually after they have sworn by the party line. Indian lawmakers are even more timid. Violating the party line can deny you a ticket. But within the party itself some amount of dissent and digression is permitted , particularly in the US. Sometimes such expression of dissent, bordering on rebellion, may go against perceived national interest.

For instance, in the past decade, there have been lawmakers , including some Republicans , who opposed the Iraq War. Some of them visited Baghdad in the days before George Bush decided to bomb the Iraqi capital. A decade after that mindless war, Lincoln Chaffee, then Republican Senator who joined six other GOP lawmakers in voting against the use of force, is even more vehement in calling it an unnecessary war. He went so far as to oppose George Bush’s renomination of John Bolton, a war hawk, as the US ambassador to UN, effectively shafting it. He quit the party much later and went on to run for and win the Governorship of Rhode Island, the first independent to do so in more than 200 years. You could say he is a maverick. Going even further back, there were lawmakers, including Republicans such as John Sherman Cooper and George Aiken who vocally opposed the Johnson administration’s Vietnam policies advocated negotiations and de-escalation as early as 1964. It’s hard to imagine such open dissent in India against national security policy. Although Sri Lanka is starting to show up some cracks, that is more on account of regional and ethnic politics.

In the light of all this it was interesting to see three American lawmakers, all Republicans , make a beeline to Gujarat to meet with Narendra Modi and invite him to the US, breaking what is seemingly a national consensus. After all, the ban on Modi’s travel to the US was instituted by the Bush dispensation, and the Obama administration has only continued the policy. So why would the three (mavericks?) break rank, particularly when Washington and New Delhi have washed their hands of the matter and not encouraged anyone to do so? In this instance, both the Indian embassy in Washington and the US embassy in New Delhi were kept out of the loop. From all accounts, the three US Representatives are not part of any Congressional Delegation (CoDel) visiting under the aegis of FICCI or CII, the usual route for such trips. They reportedly signed up for the trip at the instance of Shalabh Kumar, a millionaire Illinois businessman belonging to the Overseas Friends of BJP, in what is evidently an effort to persuade the administration to lift the ban on Modi. The group will visit ten Indian cities in ten days in a private jet arranged by the Overseas BJP.

The US lawmakers’ profile offers an interest insight into what drives their Modi/India foray. All three are relatively young, personable Representatives who have run enterprising small businesses before entering politics. Their constituency reflects small town America in dire need of economic oxygen. Clearly, their outreach reflects the aspiration of their constituents, Washington politics be damned. Illinois Representative Aaron Schlock, the leader of the group, typifies this thinking. He’s elected from the Illinois’ 18th Congressional district, which includes the city of Peoria, which is the world headquarters of Caterpillar Inc, but also a byword for Middle America or “provincial” in America. The two other Representatives , Cynthia Lummis and Cathy Rodgers, are from districts that have similar small cities, Cheyenne in Wyoming and Spokane in Washington State. These are cities eager to do business.

In the marketing world, they say that if it flies, or sells, in Peoria, it will do so anywhere. In that sense, it is a metaphor for mainstream acceptance. So if a maverick from Peoria comes calling on Modi, it’s a fair guess that the US ban on him will soon be ending.