PM Modi found supporters in US before his Silicon Valley visit in September end

Weeks after prominent US-based academics raised privacy concerns over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Digital India' campaign, a group of American academicians have now backed the campaign, asserting that it heralds a new era of participatory democracy and enhances transparency.

Over 150 American academicians said in a letter: "We welcome, Prime Minister Modi's support for the Digital India initiative that heralds a new age of participatory democracy and enhances transparency in governance in India, leveling the playing field for vast numbers of India's citizens."

"We, the undersigned, as faculty representing diverse disciplines in the American academy, join fellow Americans in welcoming India's PM Narendra Modi to California's Silicon Valley on his inaugural visit there September 26-27, 2015," it said.

Signatories include holders of prestigious endowed professorships, deans of schools and educators in engineering, medicine, business and the humanities from many of the most prestigious institutions in the US.

They are of view that Modi's visit comes at a transformational moment in a relationship between the two largest democracies in the world representing 1.5 billion people--one-fifth of humanity.

The academicians recognised the indigenous talents of Indian scientists to develop the infrastructure to effectuate 'Digital India' and other initiatives predicated on technological advancements.

Moreover, they hoped that Modi will seek partnership with American academic and business leaders with the expertise and experience to ensure that Digital India realizes its potential without imperiling India's privacy laws and individual liberties.

"We are encouraged by reports that 170 million new bank accounts have opened, accompanied by government-backed catastrophic insurance, bringing hope to the most needy in India. Tying these accounts into the Aadhar identity document program could give many citizens their first clear symbol of empowerment," it said.

The letter comes weeks after over 100 US-based academics, most of them Indian-Americans, said that they were concerned that the Digital India's potential for increased transparency in bureaucratic dealings with people is "threatened by its lack of safeguards about privacy of information, and thus its potential for abuse".

"We acknowledge that under Modi, India's civilisational contributions of yoga, spirituality, religious pluralism, art, and music are enjoying renewed patronage and public acceptance globally," the signatories added.

Praising the 'Clean India' campaign, they said that as educators, they recognise that India is home to the largest youth population in the world, and success in improving basic facilities at over 400,000 government schools this past year, inspires confidence in Modi's commitment to education.

"We believe that partnerships in Silicon Valley and knowledge exchange with the American academy have the potential to offer solutions in educational entrepreneurship necessary to reach and inspire those 356 million young Indians and prepare them for the 21st century," they said.

(Image: Indiatimes)