ISLAMABAD: State-sponsored persecution of minorities and mob violence has put Narendra Modi’s India of today at risk of tearing itself apart. Hate crimes and violence against minorities including Muslims, Christians, Dalit and others were on constant surge being provoked by ruling BJP leaders, backed discriminatory legislation and also stamped by Indian judiciary.

Since Modi’s reelection in 2019, government has pushed controversial policies that explicitly ignore Muslims’ rights and are intended to disenfranchise millions of Muslims.

Around two hundred million Muslims account for about 15 percent of population by far largest minority group. Religious persecution has dramatically accelerated under Prime Minister Narendra Modi who rose through Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), paramilitary Hindu organisation promoting Hindu supremacy.

Doug Bandow senior Fellow at US-based Cato Institute wrote, Modi’s policies had been much more “Dirigiste than predicted.” Instead, he has gained political success and strengthened control of Indian politics by inflaming Hindu nationalism.

In its latest annual report, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) found significant deterioration in freedom of religion in India.

“Indian government escalated its promotion and enforcement of policies including those promoting Hindu-?nationalist agenda that negatively affect Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and other religious minorities.”

Last year, “Indian authorities intensified and broadened their crackdown on activist groups and media in 2022 Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party led government used abusive and discriminatory policies to repress Muslims and other minorities,” Meenakshi Ganguly, Human Rights Watch’s director for South Asia, explained said in report.

“Having solidified its hold on power, Modi government could do policy volte-?face without serious political risk. Otherwise, it risks sacrificing opportunity to match struggling China economically and politically,” Doug Bandow remarked.

Published in The Daily National Courier, April, 01 2023

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