• By Nikhil Singh
  • Tue, 11 Apr 2023 08:26 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND

UNION Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reacted sharply to questions on negative perception of India in Western media, especially in terms of minority rights on Monday. Responding to a question of Adam S Posen, President of Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), on widespread reporting in Western media of violence against minorities, Sitharaman sought to contrast the situation in India with that in Pakistan.

Sitharaman is visiting Washington in the United States to attend the spring conferences of International Monetary Fund and World Bank. There she will also hold a second meeting of Finance Ministers and central bankers of G20 nations. On Monday, she attended a Question and Answer (Q&A) discussion session hosted by PIIE’s President Adam S Posen.

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“India has the second-largest Muslim population in the world, and that population is only growing in numbers. If there is a perception, or if there's in reality, their lives are difficult or made difficult with the support of the state, which is what is implied in most of these write-ups, I would ask, will this happen in India in the sense, will the Muslim population be growing than what it was in 1947?” the Finance Minister said, according to ANI, when Posen asked her about Western reports on elected MPs losing their status and minorities being subjected to violence.

“As opposed to Pakistan, which was formed at the same time India was divided into two - Pakistan. Pakistan declared itself an Islamic country but said minorities will be protected. Every minority has been dwindling in its number.....decimated in Pakistan. Even some of the Muslim sects have also been decimated,” she added.

After claiming that Muslims in India are better off than Muslims in Pakistan, Sitharaman said, “To say it's all the blame of the Government of India, I would want to say then, tell me, between 2014 and today, has the population dwindled? Have the deaths been disproportionately high in any one particular community? So, I would rather invite these people, who write these reports to come to India. I host them. Let them come to India and prove their point”.

On the question of such negative perceptions affecting capital inflows in the country, she asserted, "I would think the answer for that lies with those investors who are coming to India, and they've been coming. And as somebody who's interested in receiving investments, I would only say, come have a look at what's happening in India, rather than listen to perceptions being built by people who have not even visited on the ground and who produce reports".

Not only did she respond to negative perceptions but also advised the World Trade Organsiation to be “more progressive”.

"I would love WTO to be more progressive, a lot more listening to all countries, and more fair. It has to give space to voices of the countries which have something different to say and not just hear but also somewhat heed," she said.

 

(With agency inputs)