Marginalised under Modi: how India’s minorities are starting to stand together

Attacks on minority Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists have increased since Narendra Modi’s BJP government came to power

But minority groups are now joining forces against Hindu nationalism, pointing out that the Constitution is secular

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Minority communities are now coming together to fight the fascism and nationalism of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP party. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:00pm, 23 Feb 2020Updated: 12:49pm, 23 Feb 2020

As the Indian government was showcasing the country’s diversity through a colourful parade in New Delhi on Republic Day on January 26, thousands of people representing different faiths formed a human chain 11km long in Kolkata to uphold the tenets of the Indian Constitution.

“Some sections of the minorities in the country are feeling aggrieved under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government,” said Satnam Singh Ahluwalia, general secretary of the United Interfaith Foundation – India, which organised the human chain. “The Constitution guarantees equality and liberty to all and we want to ensure that nobody takes away this right.”

Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains are considered minorities in the predominantly Hindu country.

The annual military ceremony called Beating the Retreat is performed in New Delhi to close Republic Day celebrations. Photo: EPA-EFE

Attacks on Muslims and Christians by Hindu groups have increased since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP government came to power in 2014, while Sikhs and Buddhists have also come under attack.

“The collective fear is, today they are targeting Muslims, tomorrow it will be some other community,” said Ahluwalia, a Sikh.

According to the National Human Rights Commission, 2,008 cases of harassment of minorities and lower-caste Dalits were registered between 2016 and 2019 across India.

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Marginalised under Modi: how India’s minorities are starting to stand together

Attacks on minority Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists have increased since Narendra Modi’s BJP government came to power But minority groups are now joining forces against Hindu nationalism, pointing out that the Constitution is secular

Attacks on minority Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists have increased since Narendra Modi’s BJP government came to power

But minority groups are now joining forces against Hindu nationalism, pointing out that the Constitution is secular