Published 14:26 IST, January 15th 2020
Mr. Nadella, here are 5 truths about why India is multicultural & US is not
After Satya Nadella made controversial statement on CAA, Republic TV charts out five truths that will prove how multicultural and diverse India as a country is.
The latest victim to fall prey to misinformation and fake news on CAA was Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Expressing his disappointment with Citizenship Amendment Act, Nadella on Tuesday had reportedly said, “I think what is happening is sad... I think it's just, bad." After his comment created a stir on the internet, Microsoft hurriedly issued a clarificatory statement. But a debate has since ensued on the accusation that India is not multicultural. So here are five truths about how multicultural and diverse India as a country is:
On multireligious leadership:
India, in just 72 years of Independence, has had three Muslim presidents, APJ Abdul Kalam, Zakir Hussain and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. India has also had a Sikh President Giani Zail Singh. Meanwhile, almost all US Presidents have been Christians.
On the state of minorities:
India is set to be home to the largest Muslim population in the world by 2050. In fact, Muslims in India currently constitute 14.23 per cent of the population. Meanwhile, the US has a Muslim population of just 1.1 per cent.
On linguistic diversity:
The U.S. Census Bureau found that over 350 languages were spoken in US homes. Interestingly, the number of languages and dialects spoken in India is a whopping 19,500.
On refugees:
Let’s compare how the US and India treat those from their neighboring countries. The US President, not just talks of a ‘wall’ but reports indicate that there are over 11,000 Mexicans waiting for entry into the United States across the land border as of November 2019. In India, it is believed that more than 62,000 Tamil refugees are currently living in camps.
On detention centers:
It is the US, and not India which houses what are being pegged as the world’s largest detention centers. The US has more than 52,000 immigrants including children locked up in immigrant detention centers.
Updated 14:26 IST, January 15th 2020