Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) urges the government of India to uphold constitutional guarantees on the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), ahead of Republic Day on 26 January.
Tomorrow
India will celebrate 68 years of having a Constitution, which recognises the
largest democracy in the world as an independent Republic and which, in its
preamble resolves to secure the ‘liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith
and worship’ of all its citizens. Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees the
right to freedom of religion or belief, stating that ‘all persons are equally
entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and
propagate religion.’
Since 26
May 2014, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power, there has been a
notable shift in public discourse, increasing hostility towards religious
minorities. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological arm of the
BJP and promotes a Hindu nationalist agenda, has sought to polarise the society
by relentlessly dividing communities based on religious grounds, leaving
religious minorities in the nation unsettled about their future.
Prime
Minister Modi has remained largely silent on the hate campaigns, threats,
violence and attacks against religious minorities. Christian groups state that
between 2014 to July 2016, they have recorded approximately 424 cases of
violence against Christians It is suspected that many more cases go unreported.
Far
right groups have threatened and intimidated those who voice dissent in
response to the attacks on religious minorities, while non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) who are engaged in the promotion and protection of human
rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief, have had their
foreign aid contributions stopped by the government.
Dr John
Dayal, the former national President of the All India Catholic Union said,
“India is a signatory to the United Nations Charter, and human rights
especially Freedom of Religion or Belief, enshrined in it. We have always
maintained that relations, political, economic including trade, between nations
have a strong commitment to these fundamental rights of all men, women and
children everywhere in the world. This Republic Day as new leaders emerge in
Europe and the United States, we pray for a strengthening of the rule of law in
India and end to hate, and a commitment to human rights, civil liberties and
religious freedom.”
CSW’s
Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, "On this important day, we call on the
Indian government to give due attention to the Constitution, which grants every
citizen, despite his or her religion or caste, the freedom to profess, practice
and propagate his or her religion without fear of reprisal.”
For further
information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Senior
Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or
visit www.csw.org.uk.
Christian
Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious
freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.