(Maria Mansab)
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has enacted the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which aims to expedite the process of granting citizenship to religious minority individuals from neighboring countries, except Muslims. The law provides evidence that Modi’s authoritarian regime is attempting to convert India into a Hindu-majority state and marginalize its 200 million Muslim population.
To aid those who are persecuted, CAA will permit non-Muslim religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to apply for citizenship. In 2019, the law was enacted, inciting widespread demonstrations that resulted in the deaths of dozens and the apprehension of countless others. According to the country’s Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah, “PM Modi had delivered on another commitment and realized the promise of the makers of our constitution to the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians living in those countries.” It is clear from the statement above that the implementation of this law is discriminatory in nature as it excludes Muslims.
In the run-up to this year’s general elections, the enactment of the CAA is a significant electoral pledge of Modi Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This action is a strategic political move employed by the autocratic government of Modi for their election campaign.
According to Amnesty International, the law is “discriminatory” and “goes against the constitutional values of equality and international human rights law.” It states that the law “legitimizes discrimination based on religion” and is “exclusionary in its structure and intent.”
For instance, this law does not protect individuals escaping mistreatment in non-Muslim majority countries, such as Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka. Additionally, it fails to account for the inclusion of Rohingya Muslim refugees who have fled from Myanmar.
The 200 million Muslims in the nation could face persecution if the CAA is used in conjunction with a planned national registry of citizens. Its enactment two to three days before the election announcement, following repeated extensions in the previous four years, indicates that it is being done for political purposes. Another example of Modi’s flagrant lying is the length of time it took to announce the CAA guidelines. The sole purpose of the CAA is to target Muslims; it has no other intent.
Modi is actively promoting a Hindu nationalist agenda that poses a threat to the country’s secular foundation, restricts the rights of religious minorities, especially Muslims, and brings India closer to being a Hindu nation.
In addition, during the Modi-fascist rule, a significant number of Muslims were subjected to lynching by Hindu mobs based on accusations of consuming beef or engaging in cow smuggling. Muslim businesses have faced economic boycotts, their localities have been demolished, and places of worship have been intentionally set on fire. Moreover, there have been public calls for the genocide of Muslims. Modi’s conspicuous silence over the anti-Muslim violence has empowered his most radical followers and facilitated an increase in hate speech targeting Muslims.
The United Nations Human Rights panel on March 7, 2024, expressed concern, on reports of assaults on minority groups, media outlets, and civil society in India. The panel urged immediate measures to address these issues, particularly since the country is gearing up for early 2024 elections. Furthermore, they expressed strong disapproval of the inadequate degree of response from India to their messages. They observed that out of the 78 communications sent by UN human rights experts between 7 March 2019 and 6 March 2024, only 18 received public replies from the Government.
The experts urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to persistently observe the developing human rights situation in India. They also called on the Human Rights Council to deliberate on potential actions that could help prevent human rights abuses in the country, under its responsibilities outlined in General Assembly resolution 60/251.
Under Modi’s ethno-religious policies, the Indian government hindered its goal of becoming a global leader in a democracy that respects human rights. This was due to its consistent implementation of laws and actions that unfairly treat and stigmatize religious and other minority groups, as stated in the 2024 World Report by Human Rights Watch.
Amnesty International’s report in February 2024 states that India must immediately cease its extensive illegal demolitions of homes, businesses, and places of worship belonging to Muslims, which are being carried out using JCB bulldozers. The JCB brand machinery has been utilized as a weapon in a hate campaign against Muslims, naming it as Jihad Control Board Bulldozers. Global experts on genocide have declared that the Indian government has supervised the genocide and India is currently in stage 10 of a genocide against Muslims.
Under Modi’s fascist dictatorship, India’s Press Freedom Index ranking fell to its lowest point in history in 2023 (161 out of 180 countries). Freedom House, a US based democracy watchdog, downgraded India from a free democracy to a “partially free democracy.” Similarly, the Swedish-based V-Dem Institute described the country as an “electoral autocracy.” These numbers show that, under the Modi government, censorial nationalism jeopardizes free speech.
The implementation of CAA by the Modi regime has been driven by political motives, particularly aimed at garnering support for the 2024 elections. It reflects a concerning trend towards discriminatory policies that marginalize Muslims. This, coupled with reports of attacks on minorities, suppression of press freedom, and erosion of democratic institutions, underscores the need for urgent corrective action to uphold India’s secular values and ensure the protection of all citizens’ rights.
The columnist is an Mphil scholar from Quaid i Azam University and a freelance writer. She can be reached at mariamansab@ir.qau.edu.pk
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