As one of the world’s foremost philanthropic organizations, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sets the moral tone for the global humanitarian community. That is we are outraged with the recent decision of the Foundation to bestow one of its prestigious awards upon the Prime Minister of India, the “Butcher of Gujarat,” Narendra Modi.
Mr. Modi is being awarded for the commendable deed of building toilets across India, where 500 million people defecate in public. This is a worthy cause. However, one might find some good deeds by Hitler as well.
The award comes right after the human rights organization Genocide Watch issued a genocide alert for Kashmir as well as the Indian state of Assam. Modi’s India is the only country with under two genocide alerts. In Assam, it is issued because of the Indian government’s decision to strip 1.9 million Bengali speaking Muslims of their citizenship.
To the @gatesfoundation – don’t reward fascism. The Butcher of Gujarat, #Modi, doesn’t deserve an award from the #BillGates Foundation- sign the petition @StopGenocideUSA ! https://www.stopgenocide.org/ #DontRewardModi #StopGenocide #SaveIndia Share on X Dear @GatesFoundation @GenocideWatch calls upon the @UnitedNations and its members to warn India not to commit genocide in #Kashmir. #StandWithKashmir #DontRewardModi #StopGenocide Share on X To the @Gatesfoundation- In #Kashmir, more than 800,000 Indian armed forces have kept eight million Kashmiris detained in their own homes without phones/internet service for the last month!#DontRewardModi Sign the petition @StopGenocideUSA … Share on X The award to #Modi from @GatesFoundation could not have come at a more awkward time. Genocide Watch has issued a #genocide warning for the Indian held Kashmir and the Indian state of Assam! Sign the petition! @StopGenocideUSA !… Share on X We understand the award was given for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan program for building toilets in India, where about 500 million people defecate in public, but to a man whose nickname is the Butcher of Gujarat! We urge all to read more and sign… Share on XHere are five of the ten reasons given by Genocide Watch for issuing a genocide alert for #Kashmir:
Polarization: Modi and the BJP incite anti-Muslim hatred; spread falsehoods through social media;
Preparation: The Indian Army occupies Kashmir; BJP leaders speak of the “Final Solution” for Kashmir;
Persecution: Kashmiri Muslims are locked down, subject to arrest, torture, rape, and murder;
Extermination: Genocidal massacres occurred during Partition; since 1990, there have been at least 25 massacres with death tolls over 25: 10 of Muslims by Indian troops; 15 of Hindus by Muslim militants;
Denial: Modi and BJP say their goals are to “bring prosperity” and “end terrorism”; they deny any massacres. No Indian Army troops or police are ever tried for torture, rape or murder. Modi’s takeover is popular in India.
Genocide Watch calls upon the United Nations and its members to warn India not to commit genocide in Kashmir.
Is Narendra Modi really the kind of leader that the Gates Foundation wants to endorse? We can only assume that the Foundation would not have made this decision had it fully considered the facts.
Talking Points:
The first sentence in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s mission is “ALL LIVES HAVE EQUAL VALUE.” We assume that includes the indigenous people of #Kashmir and the citizens of #Assam
The second point in the Foundation’s mission is to “ENSURE MORE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE SURVIVE AND THRIVE.” As the Foundation might know, schools in Kashmir are yet to be reopened after the Indian military intervention in early August. Children are the number one victims of these military operations. For decades schools have been shut down repeatedly. In 2016, the most recent data available, schools in Kashmir were open for only 4 months of the year.
Scholars have not cleared Modi of the massacre of Gujarat. For this, he was banned from entering the USA, UK, and Canada for 10 years, and only regained the right to enter when he acquired diplomatic immunity by becoming the Indian Prime Minister.
Indian Prime Minister Modi is a member of RSS which was banned in India four times including once because one of their leaders killed Gandhi.