German-Indian government consultations: ‘a missed opportunity’

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is critical of Angela Merkel’s and other cabinet members’ recent trip to India. ‘Human rights obviously had no role in the German-Indian government consultations, even though Asia’s largest democracy is on the brink of collapse, as India’s Hindu nationalist government is fuelling systematic attacks on Christians and Muslims. But Germany is simply turning a blind eye and thinking of their economic relationships. This is not taking responsibility for world politics,’ explained Ulrich Delius, the STP Asia consultant, in Göttingen on Tuesday. ‘This was a chance to stand up for freedom of religion in India, just as US President Barack Obama did during his India trip in February 2015.’ After Obama’s clear warnings, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to publicly discuss freedom of religion after months of silence.

The whole of India has been hotly disputing the lynching of a Muslim man who was killed just days before the Chancellor arrived. Hindu nationalists purposefully spread rumours that he had slaughtered a ‘holy cow’ and eaten its flesh. Meanwhile, leading Indian politicians of the opposition are appealing to the United Nations to investigate Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP party’s involvement in violence and attacks against minorities. The 50-year old Muslim man Mohd Akhlaque was stoned by angry Hindu nationalists on September 28th in the village of Dadri (in Uttar Pradesh). His son was also seriously injured in the attack. His daughter, who asked neighbours for help in vain, insists they were eating mutton. Hindu nationalists have been fuelling the argument about meat, forbidding the slaughtering and consumption of cows, calves, oxen and bulls. The Muslim community has been especially affected by these bans, as they often work in the meat industry.

The escalating dispute about meat shows just how little protection there is for religious minorities and religious freedom in India. ‘The 180 million Muslims and 30 million Christians fear for their lives,’ warns Delius. A leading Hindu nationalist activist, closely linked with the BJP, gave a call to arms at the end of 2014 - that India must be free of Christians and Muslims by the year 2021. ‘If you want to tackle long-term causes of asylum, you must take action in India now and not in six years, as many Christians and Muslims will have to flee.’

Last week, the STP published a 45-page report about the violation of religious freedom in India. The human rights organization documented 160 attacks on Christians, Muslims and Sikhs since March 2015, including intimidation, expulsion, forced conversions, arrests, murders and destruction of churches and other religious institutions. Overall, 760 attacks against religious minorities have been recorded since Modi came to power.

Header Foto: Meena Kadri via Flickr