Indian External Affairs Minister, S.Jaishankar, in recent comments on situation of minorities in Pakistan, has once again resorted to a propaganda campaign aimed at diverting attention from India’s increasingly dire internal situation regarding its own minorities.
This attempt to shift narrative away from India’s human rights violations reveals a disturbing pattern: rather than addressing systemic discrimination and violence against its own minorities, India’s leadership seeks to project an image of moral superiority by criticizing its neighbours.
While mistreatment of minorities in any country must be condemned, India’s actions in this regard reveal a far more pressing and urgent issue.
Under the BJP leadership, rights of religious minorities, particularly Muslims, Sikhs and Christians have been severely undermined.
The government’s policies, rhetoric and actions consistently favour the Hindu majority, while minorities have been subjected to violence, intimidation and a systematic erosion of their rights.
Discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which explicitly excludes Muslims from the list of religious minorities eligible for citizenship, stands as a clear example of this state-sponsored prejudice.
Alongside this, the rise of cow vigilante groups, who operate with tacit approval of the ruling dispensation, has led to an increase in ‘mob-lynching’ targeting Muslims.
These incidents, often justified under the guise of protecting Hindu religious sentiments, are a disturbing manifestation of intolerance permeating India’s social fabric.
The Muslim places of worship are increasingly under threat, with incidents of mosque land being encroached upon for construction of temples.
In some states, Muslims are being restricted in their ability to practice their faith, including being prevented from performing religious rituals in public spaces.
In fact the situation of minorities in Pakistan and India is not comparable at all.
While incidents of violence against minorities occasionally occur in Pakistan but they do not receive patronage of ruling dispensation, as is the case in India.
In contrast, Pakistan’s government swiftly acts to bring perpetrators to justice, with several cases where justice was delivered.
Rather than monitoring Pakistan’s situation, India needs to confront its own domestic policies, which have led to a steady erosion of democratic values and minority rights within the country.
The world must recognise that systematic persecution of minorities in India is a far more pressing issue that demands immediate attention.
Countries must rise above political and economic expediency and demand accountability for mistreatment of minorities in India.
Instead of casting blame abroad, India’s leadership must look inward and take meaningful action to protect the rights and freedoms of its minority communities.
