‘Obama Should Spend His Energy on…’: Former USCIRF Commissioner Slams Ex-US President’s Remarks – News18

Former Commissioner of United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) hit out at Former President Barack Obama’s statement about minority rights in India, saying that Obama should spend his energy complimenting India more than criticizing it.

Complementing India and its diversity, Johnnie Moore said that India is the most diverse country in human history and the diversity is its strength.

The statement comes in response to an interview where Obama reportedly said that if India does not protect the rights of ethnic minorities, there is a strong possibility at some point that the country starts pulling apart.

“I think the former president (Barack Obama) should spend his energy complimenting India more than criticizing India. India is the most diverse country in human history. It’s not a perfect country, just like the US is not a perfect country, but its diversity is its strength,” Johnnie Moore said, according to ANI.

He further said that the US should be complementing India in every chance that they have. He added that it is better to privately criticise friends and publicly praise them.

“We should be complementing the largest democracy in every chance that we have. With your friends, it is better to privately criticise and publicly praise. That’s good geopolitics,” the former USCIRF Commissioner further said.

Moore added that despite his criticism, Obama could not help but also compliment PM Modi.

Obama in an interview to CNN had said that India may “pull apart” if the rights of the religious and ethnic minorities are not upheld.

“If the (US) President meets with Prime Minister Modi, then the protection of the Muslim minority in a Hindu majority India is worth mentioning. If I had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, who I know well, part of my argument would be that if you don’t protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, there is a strong possibility that India would at some point start pulling apart,” Obama had said.

Obama’s statements received a lot of criticism from leaders including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Last week, Johnnie Moore said that the US can learn a lot from India and added that India is the most pluralistic country in the whole world.