Extrajudicial killings are reprehensible no matter if they are carried out by the Americans, the Russians, Israel or India and whether they are carried out domestically or overseas. Leaving that issue aside, it’s worth taking a closer look at recent allegations made by the US government on a so-called plan to assassinate noted Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The core allegation in the fairly lengthy indictment, is that RAW officials were somehow involved in this entire project, including bankrolling it. According to US Federal Prosecutors an Indian official referred to as ‘CC-1’ masterminded the plot to have Mr Pannun eliminated. Mr Pannun has been promoting acts of terrorism for quite a while, but he is, somewhat disingenuously, described as ‘an attorney and political activist who is a US citizen of Indian origin residing in New York city.’
A relevant para from the detailed indictment issued by the US Department of Justice reads as follows: ‘Beginning in or about early 2023, in a series of telephonic and electronic communications between CC-1 and Gupta over encrypted applications, CC-1 asked Gupta to arrange the murder of the Victim in exchange for CC-1’s assistance in securing the dismissal of a criminal case against Gupta in India. Gupta agreed to orchestrate the assassination. In addition to their electronic communications, Gupta also met CC-1 in person in New Delhi in furtherance of the plot.’ Following the indictment against Mr Gupta, a court process will now commence in the United States. As yet, it is far from clear that RAW officials were actually involved; the Indian government has promised to cooperate and has appointed a high-level panel for this purpose.
A question arises here. Does free speech in the United States include the right to threaten mass murder of the citizens of a friendly nation? For the sake of argument, let us for a brief moment assume that some elements within RAW were indeed involved and the court will eventually sentence Mr Gupta. As and when that happens does this mean that India has been shamed before the international community? Or could it be argued that India was compelled to take this extreme step in view of the US’s inexplicable refusal to hold Pannun accountable for hate speech, including threating Hindus and Indian diplomatic officials, and warning that plans were afoot to blow up an Air India flight, and most recently, to attack the Indian Parliament.
If Pannun is simply exercising his right to free speech how is it the case that just a two weeks ago, on 23 November, Stuart Seldowitz, 64 years was arrested on account of allegedly spewing anti-Muslim rhetoric to a food vendor. Now, Mr Seldowitz is not an ordinary person and previously held the post of a National Security Council official during the time President Obama was President. Reprehensible as his actions were, clearly deserving of arrest and subsequent prosecution, Mr Seldowitz did not suggest that the mass murder of Muslims was a good idea. Why then is Mr Pannun who propagates and promotes terrorism clearly being given preferential treatment and treated with kid gloves by the US?
Before we jump to any conclusions let us for a moment just consider how it would have been had the tables been turned. Let us assume that ‘X’ is an Afghan-origin lawyer, who following marriage to a pious Indian Muslim lady becomes an Indian citizen. Now ‘X’ lost his family during the American bombings of his country and he therefore decides to shoots a video in New Delhi outside India Gate warning the United States government that he and some of his associates who have banded together under the name Afghans for Justice, plan to bomb an American Airlines or Delta Airlines flight on Christmas Eve 2023, which, as it happens, is not so far ahead. This hypothetical terrorist further advises all other nationalities, barring Americans, who are the target, to avoid boarding any American airline on Christmas Eve. Let us also assume that the video, which is posted by ‘X’ on ‘X’ the social media platform, goes viral and gets millions of views from around the world with many in the wider Muslim and Arab world cheering ‘X’ on.
How would the United States expect India to react? Forget their expectations, imagine for a minute how they would react if India allowed such a person together with his criminal associates to roam around freely. Would America sit silently respecting India’s decision not to arrest ‘X’ or would the Central Intelligence Agency immediately swing into action and order a hit on the gentleman and its associates? Imagine then what would happen if India accused a CIA official of masterminding such a plot to kill an Afghan-Indian human rights ‘activist’?
The double standards here are all too evident, but you will never find a Western channel such as the BBC, the CNN or even the Australian Broadcasting Corporation doing a feature pointing to such hypocrisy. It raises a question on whether the Western media is really as free as it claims to be. As the Native Americans famously say in Western comic books: ‘White man speak with forked tongue.’
There is a famous story that we all heard in our childhood. When Alexander entered India, so this story goes, he successfully captured an Indian kingdom and its king, King Porus was brought up before the Greek conqueror. As the legend goes, Alexander reportedly asked the Indian king how he wished to be treated. ‘King Porus is said to have replied: ‘As a king should treat another king.’
Should the United States and its younger brother Canada not be more respectful of Indian concerns? If they chose to look the other way, and ignore thick dossiers sent in respect of Khalistani terrorists, with clear connections to those who have previously blown up an Air India airline resulting in the death of 329 innocent civilians, including a hundred children, is this not a clear case of an American (and Canadian) pot calling the Indian kettle black?
Rajesh Talwar is the prolific author of thirty-eight books across multiple genres and has worked for the United Nations for more than two decades across three continents. His forthcoming book is titled ‘The Boy Who Fought an Empire.’