Right then, have you seen what’s come out about India? Makes your blood run a bit cold, doesn’t it? This report from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom – it hits you hard, a real punch in the gut. To hear that the treatment of religious minorities over there is getting worse well, it sticks in the craw. They’re even suggesting sanctions against India’s spy blokes, RAW, for heaven’s sake! Allegations of bumping off Sikh separatists in places like America and Canada? It’s the stuff of spy thrillers but with real lives and real consequences hanging in the balance. And the fact that Washington seems a bit hesitant, caught between wanting India on their side against China and, you know, the basic decency of standing up for human rights? It leaves a sour taste, it truly does.
You read the details in the report, and it’s not just vague worries, is it? It’s the nitty-gritty of rising attacks, proper discrimination. Then you’ve got blokes like Modi, the Prime Minister, and his BJP party apparently spouting all sorts of hateful rubbish about Muslims during the election. Calling them “infiltrators” with too many kids? It’s the kind of language that fans the flames, gives the nasty elements the green light, doesn’t it? You don’t need a university degree to see how that sort of talk breeds division and fear.
It’s not just about bricks and mortar, is it? It’s about tearing down people’s sense of security, and their place in their own country.
It’s easy to feel a bit helpless reading this from over here. But you try to put yourself in the shoes of someone from a minority community in India – a Muslim, a Christian, a Sikh. You hear this stuff from the top, you see the news reports of violence, the discriminatory laws being pushed through. There’s that citizenship law the UN kicked up a fuss about, those anti-conversion laws that feel more like a way to control people’s beliefs. And Kashmir? Stripping away its special status, all those broken promises and the demolitions, bulldozing the homes and businesses of Muslims? It’s not just about bricks and mortar, is it? It’s about tearing down people’s sense of security, and their place in their own country.
The Indian government, just brush it off, say it’s all “biased.” But you can’t keep saying that when there’s this much smoke, surely there’s a fire somewhere. Modi might talk about his schemes helping everyone, and fair enough if they do, but that doesn’t wipe away the feeling that some people are being deliberately targeted, made to feel like second-class citizens in their own land. This US Commission, they’re not some random bunch of do-gooders, are they? They’re a bipartisan body whose job it is to keep an eye on this sort of thing. When they recommend calling India a “country of particular concern,” that’s a serious step. It’s saying, “Look, this isn’t just a little wobble; this is a proper problem we need to address.” And slapping sanctions on individuals and even RAW? That’s a sign they mean business, even if you suspect the actual US government might drag its feet a bit because of the bigger geopolitical game they’re playing.
It’s frustrating, isn’t it? You want to believe in the best of people, in the ideals of democracy. India’s always been seen as this huge, diverse place, a real mix. But these reports… they chip away at that image. They make you wonder if those ideals are being eroded from within.
At the end of the day, it’s not about who’s right or wrong in some political squabble between countries. It’s about the fundamental dignity of human beings. Everyone deserves to feel safe, to practice their faith without fear, to be treated equally under the law. And when you hear these reports about what’s happening to minorities in India, it leaves this nagging worry, this uncomfortable feeling that something’s not right, something needs to change. You just hope that someone, somewhere, is truly listening and willing to do something about it.
The writer is a freelance columnist.