Malik Ashraf
REPORTEDLY the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has re-entered India into its list of ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ because of the communal policies pursued by the Modi government especially treatment towards the Muslim minority. The vice Chairman of the Commission after the release of the annual report of the Commission said that perhaps the steepest and the most alarming deterioration in religious freedom conditions was in India. The Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens in India potentially expose millions of Muslims to detention, deportation and statelessness when their planned nation-wide completion takes place. The report rightly recommends targeted sanctions against Indian agencies and officials for severe violations of religious freedom. The world has also witnessed the BJP zealots on a killing spree of Muslims in Delhi and destruction of their properties including some religious sites in the backdrop of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Thanks to the international media and some conscientious voices across the globe, India has failed to sell its narrative and justifications for the steps taken by her. But the regrettable aspect of these deplorable Indian actions is that the global powers and the UN have not shown the kind of reaction that was required under the circumstances. Particularly the US and its allies who spare no chance to announce their humanitarian credentials from every convenient roof top, have exhibited callousness and insensitivity to the sufferings of the Muslim in India by not putting their foot down on the issue because of their strategic partnership with India and the connected commercial interests.
It is the indifferent attitude of these powers that actually is encouraging India to flout the international laws, Geneva Conventions and even the UN resolutions on Kashmir. The hate and intensity of the anti-Muslim feelings among the BJP stalwarts can also be gauged from the fact that they are now stigmatizing them for spread the Coronavirus in India and people have seen some ugly scenes of Muslim men and youth being severely beaten up as is corroborated by the videos of the incidents gone viral on the social media. An Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy reacting to these incidents has remarked that the Indian government was trying to instigate rifts by exploiting the Coronavirus issue against Muslims and the world must stop Modi from taking anti-Muslim riotous steps. The Indian government has not only violated international laws, conventions in regards to the minorities within Indian, but in pursuance of its RSS ideology it has also changed the status of the Indian occupied Kashmir and made it a part of the Indian union in violation of the UN resolutions, while the world and the UN remain passive onlookers. It is also feverishly engaged in changing the demographic realities in IoK. It has enacted a new domicile law which permits Indian citizens to live in IoK as permanent residents. In view of the fact that UN takes Kashmir as disputed territory the move is an affront to the World Body. It is also a blatant violation of article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention which stipulates “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies” These are indeed very dangerous developments as they are not acceptable to the people of IoK who are fighting for their right of self-determination and bearing the brunt of the atrocities of the Indian security forces for the last more than thirty years, more so since 5th of August 2019. The ethnic cleansing of Muslims in India and what the Modi government has done in IoK are clear signs of the sinister designs of the regime and the followers of Hindutva philosophy who want to turn India into a purely Hindu state. It is also a threat to peace and security of the region.
The supremacist ideology has already shown its hues through continued belligerent posturing against Pakistan by India. The practical demonstration of the intentions of the Indian government was seen by the world on 26th February 2019 when in the backdrop of Pulwama incident it sent its planes across the border to hit an imaginary terrorist camp at Balakot; the lie which was immediately exposed by the International media. It was because of the restraint and sagacity exercised by Pakistan that the incident did not trigger into a full-fledged war between the two countries. It really presented a dreadful scenario. Pakistan with a view to defuse the situation returned the captured Indian pilot and restricted itself only to a defensive action by hitting some Indian targets across the LoC, which was necessary to make the statement that it was fully capable of warding off any danger to its security and territorial territory, while it remained committed to peaceful co-existence with India. Thanks to the friendly countries as well who played a significant part in cooling off the atmosphere. Pakistan has been warning the world about the dangers lurking on the horizon because of the supremacist ideology pursued by the BJP government. If the world community remains oblivious to the emerging situation in the region and India continues with its anti-Muslim policies and aggressive actions against Pakistan the chances of an armed conflict between the two nuclear States cannot be ruled out as any miscalculation on either side could do the trick. The UN as a peace-keeping entity has a responsibility to take notice of the situation particularly the UNSC must intervene to have its resolutions on Kashmir implemented and also stop India in its tracks from taking steps which endanger peace in the region.
— The writer is freelance columnist based in Islamabad.
