I strongly like to praise our current Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. I wanted to hear some good news to praise him, but I do not see any. When the surgical strike on money happened in India in Nov 2016, I wrote a blog but deleted it before publishing because I did not want my Hindu brothers to think that I am a hater of their religion. Criticizing a government does not mean that I criticize a religion. I even supported Digital India, but I have to say it was an utter failure.

After 4 months of the surgical action, on 24th March 2017, my cousin and I went to the outskirts of the city (not very far), and while returning, we felt hungry. We tried more than 3 ATMs to withdraw cash, but all were empty. We checked restaurants, but there were no POS machines (swiping machines). We stayed hungry until we reached home. I am not exaggerating.

Before Digital India, more POS machines were used in petrol pumps, but after the Digital India scheme, they stopped. Do you know why? Because more people started swiping, and they were losing money due to bank charges.

As an Indian, I always look at the welfare of my country, and it will not change even if I am a Muslim. Do you know why politicians (especially BJP leaders) bring religious matters between us? Because they want us to fight so that they can rule us and misuse our tax money.

We thought that if BJP came to power after 8 years of Congress rule, Congress would learn a lesson and BJP would show good governance. Nothing has happened in my opinion. I am not an anti-nationalist. BJP said they would bring back black money from Swiss banks and deposit 15 lakhs into each citizen’s account. I did not believe it, but I hoped petrol prices would reduce and bring down the cost of essential products as promised during elections. You know petrol prices and living costs are connected. When petrol prices increase, other prices also rise.

See, dear friends, our Prime Minister has traveled to many countries. I feel he is exploring this as a golden opportunity. From all his travels, I have heard only one good piece of news—that the USA returned some statues stolen from India.

What happened to the freedom plan? You might have forgotten the term. For 250 INR, a smartphone—who got it?

Have you ever felt ashamed of the foolish statements coming from BJP leaders or the sexual harassment cases involving women? Here, cows seem to be more valuable than human life. Muslims are being beaten and killed in the name of cows, yet India is number one in beef export, and the main exporters are from the Hindu community. Do you not sense something? They are playing with religious sentiments.

A few years back, I posted a blog, and one reader commented, “Why do Muslims think they are victims?” Do you not see that Muslims are victims in India after all these killings and beatings? What have Muslims done to you? Why are Muslims treated like terrorists everywhere?

India is going backward after BJP was elected in 2014. Our dearest Youth Icon, Mr. Abdul Kalam’s Vision 2020, is not going to happen here. Among BJP ministers, only Ms. Sushma Swaraj’s work is remarkable. I usually do not look at which party a person belongs to or their religion. I appreciate all good actions.

Even as an Indian, I am afraid to travel within India. When I drove across many states in Oct 2016 with four people under the banner ‘Cross the Border,’ at night, in some places, people knocked on our car door and warned us that it was dangerous to sleep there. Some goons blocked our way and demanded money. Just imagine how unsafe it must be for foreigners. One of the main reasons is lack of education and poverty.

In India, many leaders are also uneducated. How can they rule a country without knowledge? Even our Prime Minister’s education is questionable. Indian citizens have the right to ask about this through the ‘Right to Information Act 2005,’ but in this case, it was denied. When an officer tried to provide this information, he was removed from his position.

Do you know where our educated people are? They are working in foreign countries for the development of those nations because people are treated better there.

Yesterday, it was found that in Madhya Pradesh, a voting machine was corrupted—no matter which button was pressed, the vote went to BJP. I strongly believe this may have happened in the UP elections as well.

Please unite for the betterment of the country. Vote for qualified people because India has great resources to achieve anything, but as long as corrupt politicians rule, we will have to bow our heads before other nations. Do not allow them to divide and rule.

Finally, I want to say something very simple. We are all human beings before any religion. No one should be judged by what they eat, wear, or believe. These are personal choices, and everyone deserves respect. Our country is strong not because we are all the same, but because we are different. We have many religions, languages, and cultures, and that is our real strength. If we start fighting over these differences, we will lose what makes India special. Instead of spreading hate, let us spread understanding. Talk to each other, learn from each other, and respect each other. We should focus more on real problems like education, jobs, healthcare, and safety. These are the things that will improve our future. Do not believe everything you see or hear. Always think and find the truth. Anger and hate do not solve problems. They only create more. We should listen with patience and speak with respect.

Every citizen has a role in building the country. Change starts with small actions. Parents and teachers should teach children to respect all people. Good values will build a better future.Do not let anyone divide us. Unity is our strength. Let us support each other. Humanity should always come first.Do not lose hope. A better India is possible if we work together.

Let us choose peace, unity, and truth every day.

With love, your brother