Kamal Mustafa<\/p>\n
Right then, have you seen what\u2019s come out about India? Makes your blood run a bit cold, doesn\u2019t it? This report from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom \u2013 it hits you hard, a real punch in the gut. To hear that the treatment of religious minorities over there is getting worse well, it sticks in the craw. They\u2019re even suggesting sanctions against India\u2019s spy blokes, RAW, for heaven\u2019s sake! Allegations of bumping off Sikh separatists in places like America and Canada? It\u2019s the stuff of spy thrillers but with real lives and real consequences hanging in the balance. And the fact that Washington seems a bit hesitant, caught between wanting India on their side against China and, you know, the basic decency of standing up for human rights? It leaves a sour taste, it truly does.
\nYou read the details in the report, and it\u2019s not just vague worries, is it? It\u2019s the nitty-gritty of rising attacks, proper discrimination. Then you\u2019ve got blokes like Modi, the Prime Minister, and his BJP party apparently spouting all sorts of hateful rubbish about Muslims during the election. Calling them \u201cinfiltrators\u201d with too many kids? It\u2019s the kind of language that fans the flames, gives the nasty elements the green light, doesn\u2019t it? You don\u2019t need a university degree to see how that sort of talk breeds division and fear.
\nIt\u2019s easy to feel a bit helpless reading this from over here. But you try to put yourself in the shoes of someone from a minority community in India \u2013 a Muslim, a Christian, a Sikh. You hear this stuff from the top, you see the news reports of violence, the discriminatory laws being pushed through. There\u2019s that citizenship law the UN kicked up a fuss about, those anti-conversion laws that feel more like a way to control people\u2019s beliefs. And Kashmir? Stripping away its special status, all those broken promises and the demolitions, bulldozing the homes and businesses of Muslims? It\u2019s not just about bricks and mortar, is it? It\u2019s about tearing down people\u2019s sense of security, and their place in their own country.
\nThe Indian government, just brush it off, say it\u2019s all \u201cbiased.\u201d But you can\u2019t keep saying that when there\u2019s this much smoke, surely there\u2019s a fire somewhere. Modi might talk about his schemes helping everyone, and fair enough if they do, but that doesn\u2019t wipe away the feeling that some people are being deliberately targeted, made to feel like second-class citizens in their own land. This US Commission, they\u2019re not some random bunch of do-gooders, are they? They\u2019re a bipartisan body whose job it is to keep an eye on this sort of thing. When they recommend calling India a \u201ccountry of particular concern,\u201d that\u2019s a serious step. It\u2019s saying, \u201cLook, this isn\u2019t just a little wobble; this is a proper problem we need to address.\u201d And slapping sanctions on individuals and even RAW? That\u2019s a sign they mean business, even if you suspect the actual US government might drag its feet a bit because of the bigger geopolitical game they\u2019re playing.
\nIt\u2019s frustrating, isn\u2019t it? You want to believe in the best of people, in the ideals of democracy. India\u2019s always been seen as this huge, diverse place, a real mix. But these reports\u2026 they chip away at that image. They make you wonder if those ideals are being eroded from within.
\nAt the end of the day, it\u2019s not about who\u2019s right or wrong in some political squabble between countries. It\u2019s about the fundamental dignity of human beings. Everyone deserves to feel safe, to practice their faith without fear, to be treated equally under the law. And when you hear these reports about what\u2019s happening to minorities in India, it leaves this nagging worry, this uncomfortable feeling that something\u2019s not right, something needs to change. You just hope that someone, somewhere, is truly listening and willing to do something about it.<\/p>\n
The writer is a freelance columnist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kamal Mustafa Right then, have you seen what\u2019s come out about India? Makes your blood run a bit cold, doesn\u2019t it? This report from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom \u2013 it hits you hard, a real punch in the gut. To hear that the treatment of religious minorities over there is getting worse […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[13461],"class_list":{"0":"post-469585","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-article","7":"tag-kamal-mustafa"},"yoast_head":"\n