New Delhi: A day after US President Joe Biden claimed that many countries, including India, are “xenophobic” because they do not welcome immigrants, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today rejected the comment. Speaking to The Economic Times, Mr Jaishankar highlighted that India has always been open and welcoming to people from diverse societies.
The US President, in his remarks, also alleged that India’s economy is faltering and not performing well, while the US economy is growing. Rejecting President Biden’s claims, Mr Jaishankar clarified, “First of all, our economy is not faltering.” Mr Jaishankar’s statement is based on the fact that India has been the fastest growing major economy in the world for the last few years. While also becoming the fifth largest global economy last year. India is also on track to become the world’s third largest economy before the end of the decade.
On May 2, President Biden said, “You know, one of the reasons our economy is growing is because of you and so many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants. We’re looking for the reason (behind it). ..Think about it. Why is Japan in trouble? Because they don’t want immigrants. A fundraising program in Washington. He said this while campaigning for his re-election to the post of US President.
Responding to the claim of “xenophobia”, Mr Jaishankar said, “India has always been a very unique country… I would actually say, in the history of the world, it has been a society that has been very open … Different people from different societies come to India.”
Mr Jaishankar gave the example of the Citizenship Amendment Act, commonly known as CAA, to make his point. He highlighted how the CAA introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government reflects India’s welcoming vision.
“That’s why we have the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), to open the doors for people who are in trouble… I think we should be open for people who need to come to India, who have The claim to come to India is to come to India,” Mr Jaishankar said. Mr Jaishankar also talked about the narrative created by a section of the western media and supported it with the example of the ongoing protests in American universities.
Mr Jaishankar spoke about the ongoing anti-Israel protests on US university campuses and criticized a section of the Western media for its biased coverage, suggesting it was “too ideological” and not at all “objective” reporting. Not there. He said that this section of the media wants to shape the global narrative and is also targeting India.
To prevent diplomatic fallout from President Biden’s comments labeling India, Japan and other countries as “xenophobic”, the White House issued a clarification on the President’s intentions, emphasizing his “respect” for allies and partners .
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stressed that the president’s comments were part of a broader message emphasizing the strengths derived from America’s immigrant heritage. He stressed that Biden’s focus is on strengthening diplomatic relations with countries like India and Japan, which is evident from his actions in the last three years.
“Obviously, we have strong relationships with India, with Japan, and if you look at the last three years, the President has certainly focused on those diplomatic relationships,” he said.
