EU should press India to end rights abuses

The Indian government should reverse its abusive and discriminatory laws and policies against Muslims, Christians, and other minorities; end restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; and free all human rights defenders, journalists, and others detained for exercising their fundamental human rights.

The organisations said the annual EU-India human rights dialogue is an important, though insufficient, opportunity for the EU and India to articulate their concerns on human rights. The EU should call on the Indian government to uphold the right to freedom of speech, assembly, and religion. In contrast, the Indian government should raise concerns over increasing racist and xenophobic attacks in many parts of Europe, especially against migrants and minorities.

In June, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu majoritarian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returned to office for a third consecutive term. During the election campaign, Modi and several other BJP leaders repeatedly made statements inciting hostility and violence against marginalised groups, especially Muslims.

In the past decade, the Modi administration has adopted laws and policies that systematically discriminate against religious minorities, including notably the Citizenship Amendment Act, which effectively excludes Muslim asylum seekers. Moreover, the Indian government has escalated its crackdown on media, political opponents, and civil society groups. It is using allegations of financial irregularities and even its draconian anti-terrorism law to harass and prosecute human rights activists, journalists, students, government critics, peaceful protesters, and members of minority communities.

The EU should ensure public oversight and accountability for the EU’s India policy. The EU should follow up on the outcomes of this dialogue in both public communications and diplomatic efforts and integrate the lessons learned from it into the EU’s strategy on human rights in the broader framework of the planned Strategic EU-India Agenda. As a matter of priority, the EU should urge the Indian government to:

• Immediately release all arbitrarily detained human rights defenders, journalists, and other critics;
• Repeal or amend repressive laws used to target minorities and those used to silence dissent both online and offline;
• Implement the Financial Action Task Force’s recommendations and conduct an adequate and transparent risk-based assessment before subjecting non-profit organisations to overbroad laws such as the FCRA;
• Publicly condemn attacks on religious minorities and appropriately prosecute those responsible;
• Instruct state governments to stop arbitrary and collective punishment of minority communities, including through so-called “bulldozer justice”;
• Ensure security forces that commit human rights violations are held accountable;
• Grant access to all United Nations independent experts and international human rights monitoring mechanisms, including Jammu, Kashmir, and Manipur.

Signatories:

1. Human Rights Watch
2. Amnesty International
3. Front Line Defenders
4. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
5. Christian Solidarity Worldwide.