'India must show the world it is a power to be reckoned with'

Rabbi Romiel Daniel, part of the Indian Jewish Congregation of USA, tells George Joseph/Rediff.com in New York that members of his community hope for better relations between India and Israel.

"It fills us with pride that one from such humble beginnings is now the prime minister of the second most populous country in the world," says Rabbi Romiel Daniel who lived in Ahmedabad for a quarter of a century and saw the rise of Narendra Modi.

Now, living in the United States, Rabbi Daniel is full of praise for the Indian prime minister and hopes that he can change things for India when it comes to the country's relations with the USA and Israel.

He, along with 20 others from the Indian Jewish Congregation of USA, attended the Madison Square Garden event on Sunday, September 28.

Speaking about Modi, Rabbi Daniel says the expectations from him are very high.

Politically, the rabbi adds, India has not been very savvy in its relations with other countries. However, the first 100 days of Modi's government has shown that the prime minister has the capability of strengthening relations.

"He has done so with Japan and China. I am sure he will do it with the United States. Will he do better with Israel? I certainly hope so. For me, this is also important, as Israel has never received a fair deal from the United Nations."

India's relations with Israel, he said, has improved since 1991 and the rabi only hopes that the ties strengthen rather than weaken in the face of pressure from the Middle Eastern countries. "India has to show the world that it is a power to be reckoned with, and not to be taken lightly," he added.

Speaking of the religious freedom he experienced while he was in India, Rabbi Daniel said, "Jews living in India can proudly state that India was and is the only country where they don't feel any different. We can practice our religion without any fear of persecution or fear from the authorities. We were treated no differently than the others. We have friends who were Hindu, Muslim, Christians and Parsi. This is not so easy in any other country."

"This gives us our pride in India," he added, "which will always be in our hearts."

He hoped the Modi government would ensure that every citizen in and out of the country is treated with respect. "We have hope and faith in this PM because his humble beginnings and his rise to power gives him the understanding of the plight of the poor and the aspirations of the rich to make India the country of the future."

Along with economic development, Rabbi Daniel hoped India would see social development. "Having spent 25 years in Ahmedabad, the hub of Gujarat, where Modi was the chief minister from 2001 to 2014, I saw first hand the economic development he brought about. However, what was lacing was the humane side of development."

"Having been part of the state for so many years," he added, "it was evident that there was a tremendous lack of apathy toward the plight of women."

"Kankaria Lake was notorious for its high suicide rate among women," he recalled. "They were pressured and harassed at home, most often for dowry, a practice which hasn't ended yet."

Image: Rabbi Romiel Daniel and his wife Noreen celebrate the Hanukkah festival at the Indian consulate in New York.