Daily Times

Anti-Muslim stance of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the centre has apparently pushed India into an isolation at the International forum, wherein many Muslim and European countries besides other bodies have rebuked its attitude against minorities. Even the majority at parliament of European Union have decided to discuss human rights violations and other emerging issues propped up in India following the anti-Citizen (Amendment) Act-2019 (CAA) and National Register of Citizenship (NCR) agitation during its upcoming sitting.

In the league of countries that have rebuked India for its perpetual silencing of minorities, Iran is the latest Muslim country, which has strongly condemned the wave of violence against Muslims in North-East Delhi, which has claimed more than 42 lives and left over 300 seriously wounded.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei purportedly warned India of isolation in the Islamic world if New Delhi did not stop the “massacre of Muslims”. This comes days after Iranian foreign minister JavadZarif raised a storm in India criticising the recent riots in New Delhi. “The hearts of Muslims all over the world are grieving over the massacre of Muslims in India. The govt of India should confront extremist Hindus and their parties and stop the massacre of Muslims in order to prevent India’s isolation from the world of Islam,”‘ Iranian Supreme leader Ayotollah Khamenei tweeted.

Zarif’s tweet came after Indonesia, Turkey and Pakistan had also lambasted India over the killings of Muslims. Malaysia and Bangladesh had earlier criticised the CAA and the proposed NRC. In the case of Turkey, India had stopped import of Palm oil.

Many United States Senators have criticised the violence against Muslims in Northeast Delhi and violations of human rights. They have even mocked US President Donald Trump for staying silent over the issue during his February visit to India

There was no official response from the Indian side but the Ministry of External Affairs has, in the past, rejected statements by Turkey and Pakistan. In the case of Iran, India has stopped buying oil from the country under threat of sanctions from the US, but continues to work on the Chabahar port.

Indonesia had conveyed its concerns over the riots to the Indian envoy in Jakarta. This was after the Indonesian Religious Affairs Ministry issued a statement condemning the “violence against Muslims”.

Earlier last week, referring to the Delhi riots, Turkey’s President Erdogan had claimed that “massacres” of Muslims were widespread in India. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had warned against “radicalisation” of Indian Muslims, which he claimed, “will have disastrous consequences not only for the region but eventually for the world also”.

Speaking out against the CAA in December, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who was ousted from the post over the weekend, had spoken out against the amended citizenship law due to which, he said, “people are dying”. India was quick to reject the comments as “factually inaccurate”.

In January, more than a month after the CAA was passed, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in an interview to a Gulf TV in Dubai had said that while the CAA and NRC were “internal matters” of India, the citizenship law was “not necessary”. The NRC’s aim is to find undocumented nationals of Bangladesh.

India tried to control the damage when Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh VardhanShringla met Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka to convince her that the unrest over the citizenship laws was “temporary” and the CAA will have no impact on Bangladesh. Earlier in January 2020, the Bangladesh Foreign Minister, AK Abdu Momen, Home Minister Asasuzzaman Khan did not participate in the already fixed meetingsin New Delhi. The Speaker of Bangldesh Parliament ShirinSharmin Chaudhary also cancelled her visit to India. And it officials also boycotted the meeting in January 2020.” Dhaka expects new Delhi to understand the country’s concerns about recent development in India over the amended citizen Act and the National Register of Citizen (NRC) in Assam.

Many United States Senators have criticised the violence against Muslims in Northeast Delhi and violations of human rights. They have even mocked US President Donald Trump for staying silent over the issue during his February visit to India. Three Presidential candidates in America have also come out against the CAA. “The US and India have an important partnership-but our partnership can only succeed if it is rooted in honest dialogue and shared religious pluralism, democracy, and human rights,” tweeted Elizabeth Warren. Bernie Sanders has also come in support of Jayapal. Turns out, India will need to repair its differences with the Democrats. The sooner, the better.

Saudi Arabia also rushed to convene a meeting of the foreign ministers of member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for a discussion on the situation in Kashmirand the Citizenship Amendment Act. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, according to reports, conveyed this to his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi during a meeting with him at the Foreign Office.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights had also expressed its desire to file an Intervention Application in the Supreme Court of India over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. India, which was informed about this on Monday evening (March 2, 2020), said that CAA was an “internal matter” and that it is a “long-standing national commitment in respect of human rights issues arising from the tragedy of Partition.”

One of the friends of India, United Kingdom government has reiterated its concern over the potential impact of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and said it is continuing to follow the events in India closely.

In response to an urgent question on Recent Violence in India tabled by Pakistani-origin Opposition Labour Party MP Khalid Mahmood in the House of Commons, UK’s Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Nigel Adams said the UK engages with India at all levels, including on human rights, and also referred to the country’s “proud history” of inclusive government and religious tolerance.

However, India tried to reach out to countries across all geographical regions to share its perspective on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, and emphasised that they are internal matters, but the spate of violence against Muslims deflated claims of the Indian government.

The Ministry of External Affairs claimed to have adopted two-pronged strategy as apart from reaching out to several resident ambassadors and high commissioners based here, Indian envoys abroad engaged with capitals in different countries, but the recent condemnations and lambasting from European and Muslim countries has flattened the claims of India.

The writer is a senior journalist and Indo-Pak peace activist