80 Civil Society Groups Urge Canada’s Government to Address State-Sponsored Human Rights Abuses in India and Take Action on the Rise of Hindu Supremacist Groups in Canada
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2023
Toronto, ON and Montreal, QC - Today, in a collaborative initiative co-led by Justice For All Canada and the South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (SADAC), a coalition of 80 prominent Canadian civil society, human rights, and faith-based organizations have come together to issue a joint letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This communication urgently calls for the Canadian government's proactive stance in light of growing human rights concerns in India and the rise of affiliated extremist ideologies on Canadian soil.
The prevailing atmosphere in India, under the government of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has raised serious concerns due to reported episodes of minority marginalization, violent discrimination, and general hostility toward diverse groups. The BJP’s founding organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), holds a divisive ultranationalist ideology, which has been traced back to elements of Hitler’s Nazi beliefs according to research published by Justice For All Canada. Disturbingly, groups with affiliations or ideological alignments with the RSS are emerging within Canada, promoting their divisive messages through educational institutions, digital platforms, and community forums.
There is a growing body of evidence from human rights experts noting systematic attacks on religious, ethnic, and Indigenous groups in India, with minimal consequences or accountability. Despite these unsettling reports, the Canadian Government has been increasing its bilateral ties with India, while remaining silent on human rights violations.
The joint letter highlights multiple instances of discrimination and violence towards vulnerable communities in India, such as Muslims, Christians, Dalits, Adivasi Indigenous communities, Sikhs, and Kashmiris. Particularly, in the state of Manipur, ethnic violence has escalated to deeply disturbing levels, with Christian ethnic minority Kuki women facing heinous acts of public humiliation and abuse.
Signatories specifically urge the Canadian government to:
“As Canada prepares for the upcoming G20 Summit finance meetings in India, it is imperative to emphasize the crucial role of human rights in shaping our bilateral relations with the BJP-administered India,” remarked Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
SADAC spokesperson, Titas Banerjee, further added, “While Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauds the virtues of Indian democracy globally, the ground reality paints a different, darker picture. The constant implementation of discriminatory policies by the BJP government belies their international declarations.”
In a further demonstration of their dedication to this pressing issue, diaspora groups in Canada have organized a demonstration on August 20th, commencing at 2 pm EDT, in the heart of Ottawa. Demonstrators will gather at the Human Rights Monument and then march onward to Parliament Hill and will symbolically deliver the joint-letter to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The joint letter can be accessed here: https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1mltW212d52WRFz38FhpgseREDTsshoiU/edit
About Justice For All Canada:
Justice For All Canada is a Canadian not-for-profit human rights advocacy organization challenging state-level Islamophobia, discrimination and genocidal crimes facing religious, ethnic and Indigenous minorities on a global scale.
About The South Asian Diaspora Action Collective:
The South Asian Diaspora Artists Collective (SADAC) is a member-led grassroots collective in solidarity with the struggles in South Asia and the diaspora, with oppressed groups, activists, movements and peoples.
About ‘The Nazification of India’ Report:
In May 2023 Justice For All Canada released a report titled “The Nazification of India” detailing how the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and paramilitary movement, Rashtriya Swayamsewak (RSS), are drawing inspiration from Nazi ideologies to fuel the persecution of minorities in India, especially Muslims, but also Indian Christians and Dalits.
About the RSS:
The RSS is a nationalist paramilitary organization founded in 1925 and the ideological parent of the BJP. The RSS promotes an exclusionary ideology, Hindutva, that marginalizes religious minorities, treating them as outsiders who must be monitored, deprived of rights, and, in some prominent cases, expelled or eliminated. Genocide Watch has raised numerous genocide alerts for minorities in India, including those in Assam and Kashmir. These alerts highlight incidents like mob lynchings, public incitement to violence against Muslims, and other grave human rights violations.
August 14, 2023
Toronto, ON and Montreal, QC - Today, in a collaborative initiative co-led by Justice For All Canada and the South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (SADAC), a coalition of 80 prominent Canadian civil society, human rights, and faith-based organizations have come together to issue a joint letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This communication urgently calls for the Canadian government's proactive stance in light of growing human rights concerns in India and the rise of affiliated extremist ideologies on Canadian soil.
The prevailing atmosphere in India, under the government of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has raised serious concerns due to reported episodes of minority marginalization, violent discrimination, and general hostility toward diverse groups. The BJP’s founding organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), holds a divisive ultranationalist ideology, which has been traced back to elements of Hitler’s Nazi beliefs according to research published by Justice For All Canada. Disturbingly, groups with affiliations or ideological alignments with the RSS are emerging within Canada, promoting their divisive messages through educational institutions, digital platforms, and community forums.
There is a growing body of evidence from human rights experts noting systematic attacks on religious, ethnic, and Indigenous groups in India, with minimal consequences or accountability. Despite these unsettling reports, the Canadian Government has been increasing its bilateral ties with India, while remaining silent on human rights violations.
The joint letter highlights multiple instances of discrimination and violence towards vulnerable communities in India, such as Muslims, Christians, Dalits, Adivasi Indigenous communities, Sikhs, and Kashmiris. Particularly, in the state of Manipur, ethnic violence has escalated to deeply disturbing levels, with Christian ethnic minority Kuki women facing heinous acts of public humiliation and abuse.
Signatories specifically urge the Canadian government to:
- Address Human Rights Abuses in India: Acknowledge and condemn the escalating human rights violations, especially the alarming situation in Manipur and other identified regions.
- Publicly Denounce Rights Breaches: Issue public condemnations of documented human rights breaches in India.
- Strengthen Trade Oversight: Enhance scrutiny and oversight mechanisms in trade agreements with India to ensure human rights are central to any bilateral cooperation.
- Probe RSS-Linked Entities: Investigate and monitor organizations in Canada that have known affiliations or ideological ties with the RSS, assessing their actions under prevailing hate speech laws.
- Investigate Election Meddling: Investigate potential interference by RSS-affiliated entities within Canadian democratic processes.
“As Canada prepares for the upcoming G20 Summit finance meetings in India, it is imperative to emphasize the crucial role of human rights in shaping our bilateral relations with the BJP-administered India,” remarked Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
SADAC spokesperson, Titas Banerjee, further added, “While Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauds the virtues of Indian democracy globally, the ground reality paints a different, darker picture. The constant implementation of discriminatory policies by the BJP government belies their international declarations.”
In a further demonstration of their dedication to this pressing issue, diaspora groups in Canada have organized a demonstration on August 20th, commencing at 2 pm EDT, in the heart of Ottawa. Demonstrators will gather at the Human Rights Monument and then march onward to Parliament Hill and will symbolically deliver the joint-letter to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The joint letter can be accessed here: https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1mltW212d52WRFz38FhpgseREDTsshoiU/edit
About Justice For All Canada:
Justice For All Canada is a Canadian not-for-profit human rights advocacy organization challenging state-level Islamophobia, discrimination and genocidal crimes facing religious, ethnic and Indigenous minorities on a global scale.
About The South Asian Diaspora Action Collective:
The South Asian Diaspora Artists Collective (SADAC) is a member-led grassroots collective in solidarity with the struggles in South Asia and the diaspora, with oppressed groups, activists, movements and peoples.
About ‘The Nazification of India’ Report:
In May 2023 Justice For All Canada released a report titled “The Nazification of India” detailing how the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and paramilitary movement, Rashtriya Swayamsewak (RSS), are drawing inspiration from Nazi ideologies to fuel the persecution of minorities in India, especially Muslims, but also Indian Christians and Dalits.
About the RSS:
The RSS is a nationalist paramilitary organization founded in 1925 and the ideological parent of the BJP. The RSS promotes an exclusionary ideology, Hindutva, that marginalizes religious minorities, treating them as outsiders who must be monitored, deprived of rights, and, in some prominent cases, expelled or eliminated. Genocide Watch has raised numerous genocide alerts for minorities in India, including those in Assam and Kashmir. These alerts highlight incidents like mob lynchings, public incitement to violence against Muslims, and other grave human rights violations.
For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
Titas Banerjee, South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (SADAC) Email: [email protected] Contact: 514-502-9948 |