THE human rights violations under India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi have become increasingly evident, yet the international community has failed to confront them with the urgency they deserve.
Advocacy groups, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders, have long sounded alarms about the erosion of civil liberties, suppression of dissent and the targeted persecution of religious minorities under Modi’s leadership.
Their concerns, raised in a recent letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ahead of her visit to India, are not new, but they are now impossible to ignore.
Under Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP, India has weaponized laws like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) to silence activists, journalists and civil society organizations.
Critics face harassment and dissent is brutally suppressed, with many human rights defenders jailed under dubious charges.
This political crackdown extends beyond India’s borders, where critics and dissidents have been assassinated, with allegations of Indian involvement in covert operations abroad.
The persecution of India’s religious minorities has escalated alarmingly in recent years.
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which discriminates against Muslims, alongside anti-conversion laws targeting Christians, has compounded fears of disenfranchisement for minority communities.
Hate speech from government officials and the rise of vigilante violence against minorities have left them vulnerable, often with little hope of justice.
The letter from advocacy organizations is a clear reminder that these issues cannot be brushed aside.
The EU, which prides itself on being a global champion of human rights, must not allow strategic interests to overshadow the fundamental principles it claims to uphold.
Europe’s engagement with India should not be reduced to a series of diplomatic transactions but should include firm, public calls for accountability and human rights reform.
The EU must press for the release of jailed critics, the repeal of repressive laws and an end to discriminatory policies.
India’s descent into authoritarianism under Modi should be a critical concern for the EU, which must lead with integrity and prioritize human rights in its dealings with New Delhi.
To remain silent in the face of such blatant abuses would only embolden those responsible for the repression.
