The angry Vishwaguru

The world has expectations from India and complains when those aren't met. If global praise is acceptable to Modi govt, why the resentment and rejection over criticism?

Narendra Modi, with his consecutive majorities, has been promising India a never-seen resurgence. What we are seeing, at the same time, is a return to that old, familiar ‘door hato ai duniya waalo, Hindustan hamara hai’ (stay away the world, hands off my India) neurosis.

In just over two weeks, we have seen the British High Commissioner summoned for admonition because his parliament discussed India’s farmers’ protests. The government and its more vocal supporters, at many levels, took self-righteous umbrage at a Western and foreign (US)-funded foundation like Freedom House downgrading Indian democracy from free to partly free.

This happened