With the aid of its soft power diplomacy, India has been successful in creating a positive image of itself around the world. It is thought of as a nation with a variety of cultures, languages, and faiths. Sadly, the reality is far different from this. However, religious minorities nevertheless have suffered the worst forms of atrocities for decades. This suffering has witnessed a sharp increase since 2014 as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi assumed power.
Right-wing Hindu extremists have been emboldened by the current circumstances to terrorize minorities, especially Christians and Muslims, who are suffering from social boycotts, the damage to holy places, hate speeches, and, worst of all, frequent impunity for lynching.
In this context, some major instances of Hindu majority zealots violating the rights of minorities in India include the 1992 open demolition of the historic Babri Mosque in Ayodhya; lynchings of Muslims over cow rearing, assaults on Christians to coerce them into converting to Hinduism, the 1984 attack on the Sikh’s holiest Golden Temple, the killing of Delhi Muslims to put down anti-CAA protests in February 2019, and the ongoing genocide of Kashmiris by the Indian security forces, as well as state terrorism committed by India in Jammu and Kashmir since 1947, the division of the state into two union territories on August 5 in flagrant violation of UNSC resolutions on Kashmir.
Muslims and Dalits have been the targets of lynchings by Hindu activists in the name of protecting cows, a long-standing Hindu nationalist preoccupation. A radical Hindu monk named Yogi Adityanath was also chosen to lead Uttar Pradesh, the biggest state in India.
Though India claims to be a secular country where minorities are treated as equals irrespective of their faith or caste. But in reality, nothing can be further from the truth. Since India became an independent country in 1947, minorities have been facing all sorts of discrimination and violence.
This discrimination and violence saw an unprecedented rise following the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party with Narendra Modi as its leader. Inspired by the Hindutva ideology and a trained worker of RSS, Modi’s reign both as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and the Prime Minister of India is characterized by the blood of innocent people.
Therefore, the World must recognize the seriousness of the situation, set aside its economic and geopolitical interests, and preserve human principles. The killing of innocent Christians, Muslims, and particularly Kashmiri Muslims must end, and the international community must play its proper duty in making that happen.
