What’s Happening in India?
|
In December 2021, prominent extremist religious leaders and Hindutva groups organized mass events where extraordinary anti-Muslim hate speech and calls to violence and genocide against Indian Muslims took place. Leaders announced plans to exterminate million of Muslims of India by following Burma’s model of Rohingya genocide. These extremist groups promote a nationalist ideology known as Hindutva which marginalizes Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Dalits, and other religious, ethnic and Indigenous minorities in India
A 2024 UN Human Rights committee report lists examples of India's systemic discrimination, the misuse of counter-terrorism laws and severe human rights violations affecting religious minorities. Front Line Defenders and journalists face repeated suppression of free speech and harassment. Sources have documented cases of arbitrary arrests, internet shutdowns, and the use of Draconian laws to silence dissent. Genocide Watch has issued 2 genocide alerts as well a genocidal emergency for India, and if a concerted effort is not made to stop the genocidal processes currently underway, a genocide will occur in India. |
|
Citizenship StrippedCitizenship policies discriminate against religious minorities, particularly Muslims. |
Genocide CallsReligious leaders publicly inciting mass violence and exterminations of Muslims. |
TortureTorture and extrajudicial killings persist in police custody. |
CensorshipPeaceful protesters, activists, journalists, and anyone reporting on the governments Human Rights abuses is intimidated and risks detention and torture. |
DetentionThousands of Kashmiri and Indian activists remain arbitrarily detained without charge |
ImpunityGovernment and police failure to hold BJP supporters accountable for violence against minorities. |
|
Indian Foreign Interference in CanadaAn RCMP report released in October 2024 confirms the dangerous influence of BJP government agents and extremist groups in Canada. In light of the recent expulsion of Indian diplomats tied to violent activities, it’s clear that this interference threatens the safety of Indian diaspora communities.
Justice for All Canada has long been calling for action against the growing influence of violent extremism tied to nationalist groups in India. We are calling on the Canadian government to take decisive action by banning the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and holding those responsible for transnational repression accountable. |
Freedom of Expression Censored
India’s BJP government banned the new BBC documentary "The Modi Question" because it featured an interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then the Chief Minister of Gujarat state. The film showcased Modi’s egregious human rights record in relation to the 2002 Gujarat riots, which led to the deaths of over a thousand people, mostly Muslims, including the mass rape of Muslim women and girls. Since the documentary’s release, BBC offices in India were raided.
|
India's state violates press freedom through sedition laws targeting journalists and media outlets critical of the government. This has resulted in ongoing censorship abuses and chilling effects on press freedoms:
|
Muslim Women’s Education & Religious Freedoms Under Attack
TAKE ACTION! Karnataka state in India has legislated schools and colleges to disallow Muslim girl students from attending classes and writing exams while wearing their hijab. This law is in effect across most of South India, even though students from other faiths can still wear their religious symbols. The Karnataka hijab ban is a prime example of Islamophobia and targeted discrimination against Muslims.
|
Demand the Canadian Government to Protect Muslim Women's Rights in India.
Urge United Nations (UN) to protect minority Indian Muslim Women
|
What is Hindutva?
It’s important to know that Hindutva is NOT the same as Hinduism. Hindutva is a nationalist supremacist ideology aiming to make India a Hindu nation (Hindu Rashtra). Many followers of Hindutva resort to violence to achieve this. India’s current ruling government is a member of the “Sangh Parivar”, a network of Hindu nationalist groups.
Hindutva groups with close ties to the BJP have become more brazen in hate speech and violence against minorities. Hindutva ideology is responsible for transforming India’s identity from a secular democracy to a fascist state. Human rights groups have documented anti-Muslim violence since the BJP came to power in India.
Hindutva is also intolerant of journalists, Christians, Dalits, Adivasis, lower castes, and women. Moreover, Hindutva advances an illegal settler-colonial project that aims to transform the demographics of Kashmir.
Hindutva groups with close ties to the BJP have become more brazen in hate speech and violence against minorities. Hindutva ideology is responsible for transforming India’s identity from a secular democracy to a fascist state. Human rights groups have documented anti-Muslim violence since the BJP came to power in India.
Hindutva is also intolerant of journalists, Christians, Dalits, Adivasis, lower castes, and women. Moreover, Hindutva advances an illegal settler-colonial project that aims to transform the demographics of Kashmir.
MASS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
|
ISLAMOPHOBIA
India’s BJP government imposes laws that systematically discriminate against Muslims. BJP leaders vilify Muslims, which embolden Hindu nationalist groups to attack them with impunity. Working-class Muslim men are violently targeted by Hindutva mobs. |
|
KASHMIR
Kashmiris face harassment, raids, arrests, and inhumane jail conditions. Leaders like Shabir Shah and Khurram Parvez remain detained for peaceful advocacy. The UN expressed concerns over “arbitrary detention and intimidation of journalists covering the situation in Kashmir.” |
|
RELIGIOUS MINORITIES
An Uttarakhand church was attacked by nationalist groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. Reports estimate over 50,000 crimes committed against Dalits, and a 9% increase in crimes against tribal communities. |
|
MOB LYNCHING
A rise in “cow vigilantism” since the BJP’s election has seen unprecedented violence and killings against Muslims. |
|
LOVE JIHAD
The false Islamophobic conspiracy theory “love jihad” purports that Muslim men “target” Hindu women for conversion to Islam. |
|
ANTI CONVERSION LAW
New draconian laws target religious conversions, which include lengthy jail terms and denial of government benefits to those who convert from one religion to another. |
CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT ACT (CAA) |
NATIONAL REGISTER OF CITIZENS (NRC) |
The CAA is an exclusionary law that provides citizenship to religious minorities fleeing Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. However, Muslim migrants are excluded. Dividing migrants into Muslim and non-Muslim categories implements religious discrimination into law. This violates India’s longstanding democratic constitution, which protects religious freedoms. |
The NRC was used by India’s BJP government to recognize and expel illegal immigrants. It was implemented in Assam state (borders Bangladesh). The government screened 32.9 million people and 65 million documents to label 40,70,707 people as “illegal residents”. In 2019, when the government released the final NRC list, almost 2 million people were excluded. This is approximately 6% of Assam’s population—effectively leaving them stateless. |
Useful Links:Human Rights Watch World Report 2022: India
|
Volunteer:Contribute your time and talent to campaigning for improved human rights and security for Indian minorities. Join the Save India From Fascism campaign here. |
Resources
1. Defending Democracy—Why Canada Should Advocate for Press Freedom in India
2. Global Islamophobia Report
3. Nazification of India Report
4. Condemning BJP Government Foreign Interference, Calling for Urgent Action
5. India’s eroding democratic values questions its reliability as an ally to Canada
→ Read with No paywall
6. Response to the Highly Biased Op-Ed on Canada-India Relations Published by Toronto Star
7. BRIEF: Canada Must Respond to Ongoing Human Rights Violations and Calls for Muslim Genocide in India
2. Global Islamophobia Report
3. Nazification of India Report
4. Condemning BJP Government Foreign Interference, Calling for Urgent Action
5. India’s eroding democratic values questions its reliability as an ally to Canada
→ Read with No paywall
6. Response to the Highly Biased Op-Ed on Canada-India Relations Published by Toronto Star
7. BRIEF: Canada Must Respond to Ongoing Human Rights Violations and Calls for Muslim Genocide in India