India’s Intolerance

Publishing date: 19 March 2024

Published in: The Nation

Involved in yet another act of Islamophobia, India has seen a mas­sive uptick in such incidents of violence against its Muslim commu­nity, and the issue’s lack of recognition by the international com­munity is becoming more bewildering by the minute.

The most recent incident saw an assault on students at Gujarat Uni­versity, for simply offering Namaz at their hostel. Any single national­ity does not dominate the university, as students from various nations attend the university and by all measures, it seems to be a multicultur­al institution on the surface. However, Muslim students from various nations were attacked by a Hindu far-right mob, resulting in injuries and property damage, along with the footage of the incident going vi­ral on social media platforms.

This is yet another act of anti-Muslim violence that has taken place in India, mirroring similar incidents against the Muslim community in the recent past, with no real consequences or backlash from the international community. It is exactly these acts for which the Pak­istan-sponsored UN resolution, aimed at eradicating Islamophobia, was passed. Such acts also make it abundantly clear as to why India has firmly abstained from this resolution, as growing evidence sug­gests that the nation is not intending to uphold its principles of plural­ism and tolerance.As mentioned previously, this is not an isolated in­cident but merely a part of a disturbing trend of religious intolerance in our neighbouring country. By remaining silent in the face of such heinous acts within its borders, Modi’s government is implicitly con­doning these acts of violence, and the space for pluralism in India is shrinking to the point of non-existence at this point.

Whether India chooses to act or not, it is time the international com­munity stops turning a blind eye to such clear acts of hatred. Censuring India for its erosion of fundamental human rights and holding PM Mo­di’s government accountable for its failure to protect minorities is the bare minimum of justice that must be upheld.

For far too long have Western nations shown their hypocrisy towards protecting the rights of certain minorities whilst ignoring others. If the global community is truly committed to fighting for human rights and equality, it must ensure that this battle is fought on an equal footing as well.