The Modi administration in Delhi has lost almost all of its shine. First it lost a lot of domestic middle-class support with its controversial demonetisation idea, which turned out to be quite a catastrophe. Then, even before the pandemic, at least $45-50 billion in foreign direct and portfolio investment left India as outsiders lost faith in its market reforms. Then farmers besieged the capital and have been encamped outside it since last November over a disastrous farm corporatisation policy even as farmer suicides reach historic levels in the country. And now it’s last remaining support base, Non Resident Indians (NRIs), are also cutting Modi out. That explains why dozens out them lined up outside the White House to question President Biden’s decision to host India’s PM, holding slogans that said, “Save India from fascism”. American Indians, who were very fond of PM Modi till very recently, reportedly gathered from all parts of the country and also reminded President Biden of his promise during the election campaign, when he and VP Kamal Harris strongly condemned Delhi’s crackdown on Illegally Occupied Kashmir, implementation of the controversial citizens’ list in the state of Assam, and the passage of the blatantly anti-Muslim citizens law that even led to deadly protests in the capital. Now though, when they’ve won the election and need Delhi to counter China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region, hopefully they won’t ignore their earlier promises; and that, in a way, is what American Indians were there to remind him of. Now that NRIs have had it with the Modi regime, it won’t be long before India’s vibrant civil society, which has been subdued into silence by Modi’s Hindutva brigade, is also forced to mobilise. The ruling party effectively crushed the initial murmurs of dissent over the choke hold in Kashmir. But they won’t be able to keep a lid on public sentiment for long in what is after all one of the most diverse democracies in the world. It seems India must just be saved from the kiss of death that Modi and Co have delivered it. It’s been disappointing to see India’s powerful liberals so silent throughout the Modi ear. Nonetheless it gives heart that the people of India have finally realised that they’ve been taken for a ride. *