By Sajjad Shaukat
India which apparently, claims to be the largest democracy, acting upon the principles of liberalism and secularism has broken all the records of violence, genocide and massacre perpetrated on various ethnic and religious groups, entailing the community of its own lower castes.
Taking note of the growing intolerance and plight of minorities in India on June 7, this year, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the US Congress examined the current state of human rights in India, challenges to fundamental freedoms and opportunities for advancement.
The report said, “Despite Constitutional provisions…abolishing the legal existence of untouchable or Dalit castes, the caste system remains deeply ingrained within Indian society, leading to ongoing discrimination. Dalit communities, which make up a quarter of India’s population, are disproportionately at risk of suffering from major human rights concern in India.”
It further wrote, “Religious minorities also face growing challenges. According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s most recent report, “In 2015, religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased in India. Minority communities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs experienced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence, largely at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups…these actions, coupled with perceived crackdowns on groups or individuals critical of the Indian government, have many concerned that the rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association are being increasingly curtailed.”
In fact, since the leader of the ruling party BJP Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India, various developments like unprecedented rise of Hindu extremism, persecution of minorities even of lower cast-Hindus, forced conversions of other religious minorities into Hindus, ban on beef and cow slaughter, inclusion of Hindu religious books in curriculum, creation of war-like situation with Pakistan etc. clearly show that encouraged by the Hindu fundamentalist outfits such as BJP, RSS VHP, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena including other similar parties have been promoting religious and ethnic chauvinism in India by propagating ideology of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism). Especially, assaults on Christians and Muslims including their places of worships and property have been intensified by the fanatic Hindu mobs.
India is vocal advocate of secularism, but nowhere else in the world secularism was so blatantly betrayed. Moulana Azad had once remarked that communal frenzy would disappear when India assumes her destiny. In so-called secular India, Moulana Azad’s hopes and aspirations have gone for good due to the bullying politics of BJP/RSS goons.
Hindu fundamentalism is on rise and influencing the India society to the dungeon of destruction. The hate campaign unleashed by the fundamentalist forces is keeping the minority group in India wholly pre-occupied with defending their basic human rights and cultural identities.
Plight of all the minorities in India—bracing maltreatment, regression and brutalities at the hands of extremists in India has exposed the true face of so-called secular and democratic India.
Showing fraught and fraud of the Indian judicial system, recent verdict by Indian special court over Gulberg, Ahmedabad Gujarat incident is sham—an eye wash to give a face saving space to the Prime Minister Modi during his interaction with USA legislature, during his recent visit to the US.
Instances of Hinduized police and the biased judiciary is related to many cases such as Gujarat pogroms, Sikh riots, violence against Christians, Dalits and other minorities whose cases are still unregistered-pending or unheard, while in many cases culprits have been exonerated.
As regards the rise of Hindu extremism, RSS philosophy and politics prevail over the country in wake of rise of religious extremism against the Muslims. New Delhi has availed this golden opportunity, particularly not only in persecution of Indian Muslims, but also against Pakistan.
Here questions arises that when the US and other Western countries are intolerant and abhorrent of the terrorist outfits like ISIS (Daesh) etc. due to their extremists practices and barbarity to humanity, then why Hindu fundamentalist groups like RSS, including Hindu extremist activist Modi who is involved in ethnic cleansing of Muslim minority, being accorded a red carpet or cardinal’s treatment in America. However, it shows double standards of the rulers of the US and some other Western countries who are silent over Hindu terrorism.
Particularly, America has forgotten previous US ban on Modi regarding his visit to the US, while, before taking oath as PM, he was a persona non grata in the United States. In these terms, this contradiction displays American hypocrisy, as now Modi has become “darling of the US and even of other Western countries which have totally ignored Modi’s encouragement to Hindu terrorism.
Under Modi rule, as part of anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan approach, New Delhi accelerated unprovoked firing at the Line of Control in Kashmir and Working Boundary across Pak-Indian border. While, in the recent months, extremists Hindus and other fundamentalist groups intensified assaults on the Muslims and Pakistani artists, famous literary persons—members of the cricket boards etc. Taking note of maltreatment of minorities by the fanatic Hindus, in the recent past, more than 200 Indian writers, authors, scientists, artists, filmmakers, film-stars etc. decided to return their national awards in protest to rising Hindu extremism, while more than 100 persons have returned their rewards. Former Indian military personnel have also started returning their medals, criticizing the policies of the BJP government.
As regards Indian anti-Pakistan moves, Daily Times wrote on June 18, 2016, “India has rejected 17,000 visa applications of Pakistani nationals this year. Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan Gautam Bambawale has contacted the Indian Home Ministry in New Delhi to know the reasons for visa refusal to such a big number of Pakistanis who wanted to meet their relatives in India. The Indian government has rejected 53 percent of visa applications this year so far. The ratio of applications rejected in 2014 and 2015 had been 24 percent and 17 percent, respectively. It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan signed an agreement with India in 2012 to relax visa conditions and boost bilateral ties. However, the Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown a complete disregard for this agreement.”
Besides, Pakistan has become hub of cross frontier proxies and the role of New Delhi has become naked after the arrest of Kulbhushan Yadav, on March 24, 2016. Yadav openly admitted that he was the serving agent of Indian secret agency RAW in Balochistan province, and during his stay, he contacted various Baloch separatist leaders and insurgents, including Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, to execute the task to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project (CPEC).
In this context, while addressing a joint press conference with Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rasheed, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa disclosed on March 29, 2016 that Yadav was an active officer of the Indian Navy prior to his joining RAW. He also served as a scrap dealer and had a jewelry business in Chahbahar, Iran, after he joined RAW in 2013.
In a video, during the press conference, Yadav confessed that he spied for India and was assigned with the task to create unrest in Karachi and Balolchitan—to destabilise Pakistan and to target the Gwadar Port. Yadav also disclosed that he was funding Baloch separatists along with other terrorists—he was captured, while heading Iran.
Although in the past too, various agents of Indian secret agency RAW were arrested in Pakistan, yet the case of Kulbushan Yadav has exposed the real face of India’s terror.
The fact of the matter is that admission of the Indian spies, especially of Kulbushan Yadav clearly proved that Indian RAW has a well-organized espionage system in Pakistan.
In this connection, RAW with the assistance of some external entities, particularly Israeli Mossad have well-established its espionage network in Afghanistan, and besides backing other similar terrorist groups, it has been supporting Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which has claimed responsibility for several terror attacks inside Pakistan.
With the tactical backing of CIA and Mossad, RAW have also been assisting the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other separatist outfits and Jundollah (God’s soldiers) which have committed various subversive acts in the province of Balochistan—abductions and killings of several nationals of China and Iran. These agencies are also weakening Pakistan, because it is the only nuclear country in the Islamic World.
It is mentionable that Pakistan considers that peace in Afghanistan is a guarantee of peace in Pakistan, therefore, has been striving for the same in utter sincerity. Enemies of Afghanistan and Pakistan—India and the US do not want to see the peace and prosperity in the region. Sadly, Pakistan’s dominant role in Afghanistan’s peace process under the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) has been sabotaged by the ill-wishers. Killing of the Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansur by the CIA-operated drone attack in Balochistan has badly derailed Afghan dialogue process and violence is likely to surge in Afghanistan. It seems that America is playing double game to pressurize Islamabad to bring Afghan Taliban either for the dialogue or to take action against them. US, India and Israel have built a hostile nexus to damage the interests of Pakistan and China who want regional stability.
Nevertheless, in order to discourage Modi-led extremist policies, all such atrocities including indifferences to other minorities, human rights etc. and New Delhi’s strategy to destabilize Pakistan by sponsoring terrorism-related activities must be thoroughly debated in the regional and international media. And the US-led Western countries must take serious notice of the BJB-led government in this respect. Otherwise, extremist regime of Modi will continue encouraging the fundamentalist Hindu groups in targeting the minorities in wake of Indian anti-Pakistan moves which could also destabilize the entire region, and thus will jeopardize the interests of America and its Western allies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as there is co-relationship of stability in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Particularly, the US must also abandon its dual strategy in relation to Islamabad.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com