The United States finds itself in a peculiar situation with the impending arrival of India's newly elected Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on September 27, 2014. Indian prime ministers have always received red carpet welcomes in the United States due to our shared democratic ideals and an increasing cooperation in the economic and military arenas. The camaraderie between the world's oldest and the world's largest democracies is no surprise. However, the current prime minister of India was a persona non grata in the United States until just a few months ago. He was denied entry into the country in 2005 on the grounds of a religious freedom violation under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the first and only time such a denial had been issued. Modi was the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat when violence against minorities was carried out under his watch in the Gujarat pogroms of 2002.

Honoring the diplomatic protocol, President Obama has extended an invitation to Modi to visit the United States. President Obama most certainly is aware of Modi's dubious past and Modi is also acutely cognizant of being kept away from the shores of the United States until recently. The United States and India have an unshakable bond and most certainly need to move ahead with cooperation on economic, security, technology, and military fronts. However, the United States should not overlook the poor record of religious freedom and the dismal human rights violations of Modi's party, which finds its ideology in a Hindu supremacist group called the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). As the US discusses bilateral cooperation on various fronts, it must also address guarantees of religious freedom and safety of minorities.

It is a cause for concern that India's increasingly strident Hindu right and its ever lengthening shadow on India's polity has engendered a sense of insecurity and vulnerability for its minorities, such as Muslims and Christians. The BJP, Modi's political party, has so far failed to assuage the feeling of apprehension among India's minorities because of its provocative positions and hateful propaganda. In an apparent subversion of India's constitutional guarantees, the BJP and its allies are banning people from converting to Christianity or Islam. These elements are also indulging in forceful reconverstion of Christians back to Hinduism.They are creating an atmosphere of hate and fear between Hindus and Muslims by spreading the myth of "Love Jihad" that accuses Muslim men of marrying Hindu women merely to convert them. Freedom of speech has taken a severe beating as many people have been arrested for Facebook posts that were critical of Modi and his party members.

In an interview with Fareed Zakaria of CNN on September 21, 2014, Modi made an uncharacteristic, albeit welcome, remark regarding Indian Muslims, "If anyone thinks that Indian Muslims will dance to their (Al Qaeda) tunes, they are delusional. Indian Muslims will live for India, they will die for India. They will not want anything bad for India." Since becoming prime minister, Modi's deafening silence regarding the deadly rhetoric from some extreme elements in his party is a reason to be cautious about his above statement.

Modi ought to be focusing on the life of Gandhi for guidance as opposed to his current fascination with the RSS and its leadership. It might be relevant to remember that Gandhi's life was cut short by a member of the RSS and this organization was banned for a period of time in the aftermath of Gandhi's assassination.

India's minorities have real fears and concerns. Modi must make a clean break from his past and embrace all Indians and ensure the safety of their life, property, and dignity as enshrined in India's constitution.