Where is the indignation?

India's middle class should look to Europe. With the rise of the extreme right-wing parties in Europe, liberal Europeans who might have lost...

India8217;s middle class should look to Europe. With the rise of the extreme right-wing parties in Europe, liberal Europeans who might have lost faith in the political system are coming back into the political fray to ensure that their country8217;s traditions of tolerance and inclusiveness are not wholly undermined.

As Europe8217;s enlightened class finds its political voice, India8217;s large educated middle class has remained largely silent over the Gujarat riots. The world has seen no images of millions of Indians on the streets expressing their condemnation of the Gujarat carnage.

Deep in its slumber, the Indian diaspora in Europe has been equally inactive failing to show the countries of their residence that secularism remains alive in their motherland. In comparison, 10,000 British Jews gathered in London recently to express their support for Israel.

In Europe, the apathy and frustration of the people towards their elected politicians have played a critical role in creating a political vacuum which extreme right-wing leaders like Jean Marie Le Pen and Pim Fortuyn, who was recently assassinated, adroitly exploited to their advantage. They drew attention to concerns on immigration and inclusivity that other politicians overlooked.

Happily, thanks to Europe8217;s tolerant citizens coming to the rescue, European nations have not made a complete U-turn, falling back into the mire of the politics of national identity. The French middle class was jolted when Le Pen defeated the Socialist Party and got 17 per cent of the vote in the first round of the French presidential election. The national shame was so huge that on May 1, close to 1 million people marched across France in over 70 cities to show the world that France remained a tolerant society.

Thousands of people flocked to the streets in the Netherlands, even those who found Pim Fortuyn8217;s views odious, to express their sorrow over his assassination, and to support the right of people to express themselves freely in a democracy. European democracies might be going through some turmoil but public opinion remains an important instrument in keeping the elected politicians accountable.

Recently, the entire Dutch government resigned over the publication of a damning report, which said it failed to prevent the slaughter of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica seven years ago when it dispatched peacekeeping troops to the region. Europeans hear Prime Minister Vajpayee8217;s recent anti-Muslim rhetoric and wonder how in a country so proud of its democratic traditions, he escapes the wrath of the educated class. For most of them, it is difficult to fathom why Modi has not resigned or been sacked.

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At a time when Europeans are re-engaging in the body politic, they can draw only one conclusion in the way India is handling its crisis. If multi-racial societies are to thrive and the extreme right-wing leaders are to be shunned, educated and liberal individuals must exert their pressure on the political system.

The writer is based at the European Institute for Asian Studies, Brussels