Protests and support rallies greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he kicked off an intense day of bilateral meetings ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.
As during his 2015 visit, members of the diaspora gathered in central London, reflecting the diverging views among the 1.4 million-strong community in the U.K.
Early on in the day, a rally organised by a number of community groups including Indian Ladies in the U.K., the Friends of India Society and others gathered across the road from Downing Street, chanting Bharat Mata Ki jai and Vande Mataram .
The Indian Ladies in the U.K., dressed in colourful saris performed a dance as the Prime Minister departed from the bilateral.
Sending a message
“We are here to welcome him and celebrate and show our support for greater work within the Commonwealth,” said Jayesh Patel, the organiser of the Friends of India Society, who said that after Mr. Modi’s visit in 2015, when the number of protesters outnumbered the supporters rallying outside, they wished to provide a counterbalance to those who were trying to “drown” his voice out.
However, among those gathered at the welcome rally were those who troubled by recent events in India, and in Kathua and Unnao, said that in addition to welcoming the Prime Minister they also hoped to send the message that the diaspora community was looking to him to act. “Nobody is perfect but the PM is often judged too harshly. Sexual violence and rapes have been happening for many decades before this in India… We need to give him more time,” said Kanika Sachdeva, one of the women who gathered for the dance. “He has to reach out to Indians and the diaspora and speak to us…”
Rise in attacks
By lunchtime protesters from the South Asian Solidarity Group, Southall Black Sisters and Caste Watch UK gathered outside Downing Street to protest against violence against Dalits and religious minorities, and women, with some carrying banners with images of the 8-year-old raped and murdered in Kathua, and Gauri Lankesh, the journalist murdered last year.
“Our message is that in the name of nationalism Hindu fundamentalists are violating the rights of Dalits and religious minorities,” said Satpal Muman of Caste Watch UK. “Since the government came to power there has been a huge rise in attacks,” he said.
“People try to paint anyone today who opposes the government as anti-national and tools of Western or other powers but as Dalits we believe in an undivided India. They must stop framing anyone who disagrees with them as anti-national,” he added.
