And India should not attempt to intervene in France’s domestic matter
Just as General Musharraf cannot speak on behalf of his Indian co-religionists, Manmohan Singh cannot speak on behalf of his French co-religionists. Whether France allows its Sikh citizens to wear turbans or not is entirely its own business.
It would have been another matter if France were an unrepresentative, authoritarian state hell-bent upon repressing its minorities and depriving them of their basic human rights. Then too, the justification for any intervention would be on basic humanitarian grounds – not on religious ones. Its one thing for the India’s Sikh community to lobby on behalf of its French counterparts, but its totally another thing for the Indian Prime Minister to do so.
If the Indian government wants to take secularism beyond lip-service, then it must practice separation of the religion and state both internally and externally.
Does the Indian government even believe in separation of religon and state? If so, I have never seen it put into practice.
One should go try and tell the BJP this principle of separation of religon and state and see what their response is.
I completely support what you say about French Sikhs being French. It is great that Sikh associations in India are helping out in their struggle, which is a good thing and shows the connectedness of people through religon across borders. The government, as you mention, and I agree with, should defnitely have no role to play in the internal secular matters of another sovereign country.
Disagree. It’s constituent service, plain and simple, like Bush pitching Boeing on overseas trips. Not to mention it’s personal, Singh is himself a Sikh.
Some of the Sikh children in France are Indian citizens.
What is India doing to help her citizens abroad beyond saying a few words?
Nothing!
Nothing for the Sikh kids in France.
Nothing for Lakshmi Mittal.
Shame on India for her cowardliness!
The least India could have done is cancel contracts for French military hardware and Airbus planes.
India’s cowardliness did not serve her well in the past—she was invaded and colonised.
It will not serve her well in the present or the future.