https://x.com/sougat18/status/1983598063521558644
@sougat18
It’s Matter of Principle right? I’m confused. Please help out.
A week ago we had a whole outrage debate on visa denial of renowned scholar Francesca Orsini. It was all guns blazing article after article, TV Debates, etc.
Today, Washington has revoked the US visa of Africa’s first Nobel laureate, Nigerian author Wole Soyinka, and effectively banned him from entering the country. The US embassy in Nigeria has said it cannot comment on individual cases.
Potential Reason for Denial:
The noble laureate has called the US President Donald Trump “Idi Amin in white face”. Also, The Nobel laureate has previously held permanent residency in the US but renounced it in 2016, tearing up his green card in protest of President Donald Trump's election.
Now some of the renowned scholars of India who came in full support of Francesca Orsini I’ve couple of questions for them and the society in General:
1. Why is there is no outrage on this? He is Africa’s first noble laureate. Shouldn’t there be huge voice of concern and protest?
2. Is it because he is from an African nation? Or His skin complexion might not be convenient to support the cause or raise a protest?
3. He compared the current sitting US president to a dictator, hence does the USA Govt has the right to deny/revoke his Visa?
4. Should the USA Immigration authorities given exception/free pass since he is the Africa’s leading noble laureate. Right?
5. Since he has no relation to Indian scholarly work or may or may not travelled to India ever hence doesn’t makes sense to raise voice for this.
6. The issue is about US Visa hence doesn’t concern us. We can focus on our own business right?
So outrage will only occur when it suits one’s cause and it was never about principle.
Too much for Introspection. Selective Outrage only shows the hypocrisy of an individual or a group.