The world is watching. Watching India's 'bahubali'. The European Parliament has serious concerns about it.  Let our globe-trotting Indian leaders take note. 

If the world is watching, it has reason to do so. Because, it wants to see a democratic India, a secular India. Because, it has taken note of the happenings here. It is trying to tell us that our attempts to be a big actor on the world stage should project a clean image. 

The European Parliament too has reason to show its serious concern. Our politicians, who try to play big and project themselves larger than life size and make big deals in the name of Indians, are being watched. They bellow their bombastic claims that all is well on the domestic front while the religious fundamentalism of the majority community and of its acolytes is playing havoc. 

Muslims are downgraded. The Scheduled Caste and the Dalits are treated as piss pots. Christian institutions and worshipping places are stoned, burnt and destroyed. Even hospitals, schools and orphanages are not spared. 'Similar to a Russian invasion of Ukraine!' wondered an educated unemployed-turned-tea-vendor.

After Gujarat and Kandhamal in Odisha, Manipur is becoming the Hindutva laboratory. The tribals are needed to swell the vote bank and are tolerated as long as they have land and mineral resources to part with.

People are told openly that India is in the fast forward process of becoming a theocratic Hindu Rashtra. The world has noted with apprehension the open call of a Dharam Sansad of a large saffron-clad  crowd asserting the following:

"We resolve today that we will make India a Hindu nation.To achieve this end, we will fight until our last breath and even kill if necessary."  Note the language.  The video has gone viral.

The ruling right wing party has given a free hand to its foot soldiers and lumpen lynching mobs to go hammer and tongs with impunity to quicken this process. Sanity is being sacrificed at the altar of bloodthirsty hooligans. Democracy is getting dismembered and thrown to the four winds. Secularism is trampled under foot. And, then, we bellow abroad that we are the largest democracy, neat and clean.

We are ever on the move to woo the European Community and nations for 'strategic partnership' demonstrating our 'bahubali'.

We want their technology, we want their aircraft, we want their defence deal, Scorpene submarine deal, civil nuclear cooperation, maritime ties, Joint Mars Mission, Joint Earth Observation Mission, Cultural Exchange, Scientific and Technological cooperation, and what have you. Above all, India has been itching and lobbying for Permanent Membership in the UN Security Council. We cringe, we crawl and we beg for good will and employ bargaining lobbies to get it accomplished. 

That is where India's merit and authenticity are on trial. We are watched. The eyes of the world community are on us wondering in which direction this nation is moving.

Indian foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra's attempt to thwart European Parliament expressing concern about India by indicating that it was India's "internal matter" was not all appreciated and heeded. Rather, the European Parliament, without mincing words, stated: “We wouldn't like to wag fingers at anybody from here, but with this resolution from the European Parliament, we call on the most populous democracy to do what it is duty-bound to do in its Constitution to maintain religious freedom, also for Christians in Manipur…

“Our resolution is crystal clear. We are calling on India to do everything within its power to end ethnic and religious violence, to punish perpetrators, and end Hindu extremism. Without ironclad guarantees in this area, we cannot talk about a new trade agreement with India”.

Such statements demonstrated that India remained exposed with the hard reality of the present situation with its festering backyards.

The resolution expressed concern that the ethnic violence in Manipur over the last two months has left over 120 dead, 50,000 displaced, 1,700 houses and over 250 churches and several temples destroyed. It also stated that the criminalisation of people who are critical of the government's policies is reprehensible and unacceptable.

In a word, we can fool some people some time. But we cannot fool all the people all the time. Let our politicians take note that India, in its attempt to become  a world leader, has to merit it's integrity and not try to buy it through the backdoor.

Let us hope the opposition parties coming together will be the real bahubali.