The north-eastern Indian state of Manipur has been undergoing various types of insurgencies since its accession with India in 1949. The main focus of these insurgencies has been the restoration of previous status of the state, as an independent state. The state of Manipur is surrounded by Nagaland in the north, Mizoram in the south, Assam in the west and Myanmar (Burma) in the east. In a way all Indian states in this region have been under-going insurgencies for decades. Despite the state of Manipur is blessed with lush green valleys and mountains, there have been internal disturbances in the state, mainly driven by Central Indian Governments. The alienations and discriminations over the years further strengthened hatred against India and its people have been asking for freedom from Indian overtly. The current violence and killings started in May 2023 between two main groups of the state; the Hindu led Meitei tribe and Christian led Kuki tribes. In the clashes, hundreds of the people mainly Christians were killed besides injuring thousands and displacing over 70,000. A large number of houses and Churches were burnt by the Hindu mobs that enjoyed the backing of Central Indian Government under BJP and elements of RSS have been the main killers of the Christians, mainly Kukis. The massive killings of the Christian population by Indian security forces and RSS led Hindu mobs invited international attention especially the European Union. On July 13, 2023, European Parliament passed a very strong worded resolution, demanding India to, “take urgent steps to restore calm” in the state of Manipur.
Although, India deployed its Army, following the killings of Christian minority in the state, yet the situation is getting worst with each passing day. The European Union resolution also demanded India to immediately end the discriminatory treatment with the Kukis and even the Christian population of Meitei origin. It strongly demanded from Indian Government under Modi to end the impunity enjoyed by RSS led mobs and security forces men which they use against Christians. EU resolution also asked India to fulfil its obligations of international human rights.
Tracing the post-colonial history of India, discriminations, persecution, exploitation and mass killings of the non-Hindu minorities has been a routine matter in the so-called secular India. All these despotic acts of India are well documented and known to everyone in India and at global level. The media and human rights organizations have documented all these Indian activities and have been highlighting them in their reports covertly as well as overtly. Besides, current resolution of European Union, United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its annual report-2020, declared India as the most dangerous country for religious minorities. The commission also recommended US to designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). CPC countries are the ones where the states and the governments engage themselves in targeting the minorities through religious victimization and severe violations of religious freedom.
The same commission also demanded US Government and the State Department to place India on Special Watch List (SWL). The countries placed on SWL are found involved in severe violations of religious freedom, thus need to be put under economic and financial sanctions including ban on the visas and travel abroad of key persons involved in the violations. The US State Department, the President and its powerful Congress ignored this report as well as thousands of such reports since Washington has its political, economic and strategic interest with New Delhi. Indeed, international power centres have not paid attention towards massive human rights violation and Indian oppression against its minorities. Indeed, they are doing so deliberately, since the western world have many stakes in India ranging from economic to strategic.India gets similar concessions from all other western states, Russia and even Muslim states of OIC. Regretfully, the Muslim states of OIC are rapidly coming closer to India for their petty interests despite India is alienating, persecuting and killing the Muslims as an official policy. India is depriving Muslims of their basic rights; the Indian nationality, and right over their ancestral land. In India all minorities are being exploited. Sikhs constitute 1.8% of Indian total population are being discriminated and relegated in all sphere of life in Hindu dominated India. Christian forming less than 3% of Indian population are equally discriminated and humiliated in India, recent example is state of Manipur where they are being killed and displaced under the Hindutva ideology. Through a massive campaign against Muslims, the main minority group in India, forming over 17% of total population is the main target of Indian Government. Muslim are discriminated, humiliated and forced to convert into Hinduism or else leave India. In one of its opinion page, the New York Times published an article entitled, “India’s Muslims and the Price of Partition”. The prestigious newspaper mentioned salient of the Indian policies towards Indian Muslims. As per the contents of this article, the Modi’s India demand Muslims that, “They should convert to Hinduism” this is a unanimous call from the Hindus, the BJP and its militant wing, the RSS in particular. Dalits, the lower class Hindu population, which constitutes over 18% of Indian population is being humiliated and targeted like other minority groups.
In their statements, many members of European Parliament condemned India for its discriminatory treatment of minorities. They said, “While Indian officials often like to boast that the country is the world’s largest democracy, intolerance and violence against religious minorities paint a different picture.” They believe that violence against Christian community in Manipur and elsewhere in India are not isolated incidents but, well planned events backed by Government. They clearly stated that, European Union should not close its eyes to the happenings in India against Christians. Indeed, all minorities could have been saved from mistreatment and alienations of Indian Governments had international community been fair and alive of the decades of happenings in so-called secular India.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
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