In Response to Vir Sanghvi article published in various newspapers, Nagaland Congress Leader and National Coordinator AICC Minority Department Rajesh Kumar Sethi said “Protest is not the Problem — Surrendering India’s Voice is”.
Vir Sanghvi’s article attempts to portray the Indian Youth Congress protest at the AI Summit as “foolish”, but the real issue is not dissent — it is the repeated pattern of diplomatic posturing and strategic surrender by the Modi Government. In a democracy, protest is not an embarrassment; silence in the face of unequal global arrangements is.
Let us be clear: questioning the government’s decisions on an international stage is not anti-India. What weakens India’s standing is when the leadership projects strength at home but compromises abroad. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have witnessed multiple instances where India’s interests appeared secondary to optics and personal diplomacy.
First, the India-US equation. The government celebrates every handshake with Washington as a historic victory, yet critical concerns remain unanswered — from trade pressures to technology dependence. India has repeatedly adjusted its policy positions under US strategic pressure, whether on energy imports, defence alignments, or data governance frameworks. A confident nation negotiates as an equal; it does not showcase symbolism while accepting uneven terms.
Second, foreign policy reduced to photo-ops. From large diaspora events to grand stage-managed summits, the government invests heavily in optics. However, behind the spectacle, India has faced uncomfortable questions internationally on internal harmony, media freedom, and economic inequality. These concerns did not emerge because of Opposition protests; they arose from policies and rhetoric that attracted global scrutiny.
Third, economic diplomacy that favours narratives over outcomes. The AI Summit itself was projected as a milestone, yet reports of organisational chaos, security overreach, and lack of substantive outcomes exposed the gap between branding and delivery. Instead of addressing these shortcomings, the BJP ecosystem chose to attack protesting youth — an easier target than accountability.
Dissent strengthens democracy, not weakens it. The Youth Congress raised questions about governance priorities, employment, and technological equity. Branding them as irresponsible only reveals the government’s discomfort with criticism. History reminds us that every major democratic reform — from anti-corruption movements to civil rights campaigns — began with protest.
What truly damages India’s image?
Is it young citizens raising their voice, or is it a leadership style that personalises diplomacy while institutions grow weaker? Is it a protest at a summit, or is it the perception that India’s foreign policy increasingly aligns with powerful allies without transparent debate at home?
As Congress leaders, we believe India must engage the world with dignity and independence — not with submission masked as strategy. True nationalism lies in protecting India’s sovereignty, economic self-respect, and democratic values, even when it means questioning those in power.
It is also important to remind critics that the embarrassment of India abroad did not begin with a peaceful protest — it has often come from the Prime Minister’s own remarks on foreign platforms. From joking overseas that earlier “people felt ashamed of being born in India” — a statement that many Indians felt diminished decades of national achievements — to public speeches where domestic political narratives were carried onto international stages, the line between diplomacy and partisan messaging has repeatedly been blurred. During the painful days of demonetisation, when millions of citizens stood in long queues struggling with suddenly invalidated currency, visuals and remarks that appeared to trivialise the suffering of ordinary Indians drew global criticism and sympathy for the public rather than admiration for governance. There have been several such moments when internal political rhetoric travelled abroad, allowing international media to question India’s social harmony and democratic maturity. If anyone has contributed to negative global headlines, it is not protesting youth but a leadership style that often prioritises dramatic messaging over responsible statesmanship.
The BJP may try to shift the narrative by blaming protesters, but the facts remain: a confident government answers criticism; it does not fear it. The real debate is not about one protest — it is about whether India’s global posture is guided by national interest or by political spectacle.
Rajesh Kumar Sethi
Congress Leader
