NEW DELHI: German ambassador Michael Steiner on Friday declared that the European Union has ended its boycott of Narendra Modi in what marked a big step towards ending the diplomatic isolation the Gujarat chief minister has faced since the 2002 communal riots.
The statement came a day after EU's ambassador to India Joao Cravinho announced the group's intention to engage with Modi. With the UK having already reached out to Modi, the US remains the only missing piece in a full scale diplomatic embrace of the BJP leader who has emerged as a strong contender for the party's PM nomination. China and Japan never shunned Modi largely because of the business potential of Gujarat.
As reported on Friday, European envoys met Modi over lunch in January to discuss certain issues, including accountability for the 2002 riots. It is learnt that Modi described the riots as "unfortunate". He is said to have also assured them that something like that is never likely to happen again. Although this fell far short of the apology that he has been asked to submit for the riots, the regret may facilitate the process of re-engagement with the a bloc which has set tough thresholds on issued like inter-faith harmony, human rights, environment and other concerns.
It is also learnt that Modi said all the "right things'' in the meeting, including that he was all for an "inclusive approach'' in the governance of the country. Modi also said that he would respect any verdict of the judiciary.
Taking off from where Cravinho left, Steiner, who hosted the lunch for Modi, said the EU respected India's democratic institutions, its election results and also had full faith in India's judicial system.
"Because of this respect and trust, we are now in a new phase," Steiner said, adding that even the Indian people will like this respect. "We had said that we would take a fresh look at the issue after the Gujarat elections and that is what we are doing when we talk to him directly,'' he said, refusing to elaborate.
In reaching out to Modi, the EU has followed in the footsteps of countries like the UK and Japan, who have been looking to ramp up their economic engagement with Gujarat. For Modi, of course, it means yet another significant endorsement in the run up to the 2014 parliamentary elections.
The EU apparently felt that this was the right time to engage with Modi as he had again proved that the people of Gujarat supported him and his developmental agenda. The invitation to Modi for a meeting with the envoys was extended to him days after the polling in Gujarat and before the results were out. The EU already looks upon him as a national player. The issue of his emerging as a probable prime ministerial candidate for BJP was not discussed at the meeting.
Asked if the EU, which has boycotted Modi for over 10 years since the riots, was softening, Cravinho had said, "Some months ago, there was end of one part of judicial process which shows that justice in India may be slow but it produces results. And that has helped to look towards closure of what everybody agrees is very terrible set of events''.
That is a fig leaf for the volte-face the Europeans have effected in the decade after they banned Modi from travelling to Europe following the riots. The US had sent a business and official team to the CM's biennial jamboree, Vibrant Gujarat, last month and the expectation was that this would pave the way for the ultimate US acceptance.
However, with a new Obama administration taking shape in Washington, particularly a new State Department under the new Secretary of State John Kerry, it is unlikely a US decision will be made anytime soon. Certainly not before some key personnel changes have been made in the State Department. Sources indicated that a change of heart in Washington was well on its way, though it is unlikely to happen this year.
Riots unfortunate, won't recur, Narendra Modi told EU envoys
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Riots unfortunate, won't recur, Narendra Modi told EU envoys
