Page 31 - The Indian EYE 020422

NORTH AMERIcAN Newsline FEBRUARY 04, 2022 | The Indian Eye 31

Former vice-president Hamid Ansari and four US lawmakers

expressed concern over human rights situation in India, spark a row

OUR BUREAU ally taken anti-India stands irrespective of the
governments in power in New Delhi. “There
New York
have been a lot of problems with the issue of re-
ormer vice-president Hamid Ansari and ligious authoritarianism and discrimination tak-
four US lawmakers expressed concern over ing place in India,” Raskin said. “So, we want
Fhuman rights situation in India at a virtual to make sure that India stays on the path of re-
panel discussion organised by the Indian American specting religious liberty, freedom, pluralism,
Muslim Council on Wednesday. toleration and dissent for everybody,” he added.
India has rejected criticism by foreign gov- “Regrettably, today, the world’s largest de-
ernments and human rights groups on allegations mocracy is seeing backsliding, human rights un-
that civil liberties have eroded in the country. der attack and religious nationalism. Since 2014,
“As the Indian government continues to tar- India has fallen from 27 to 53 on the Democracy
get the practices of minority faiths, it creates an Index. And Freedom House has downgraded In-
atmosphere where discrimination and violence dia from free to partly free,” Levin said.
can take root. In recent years, we have seen an McGovern, co-chair of the powerful Tom
uptick in online hate speeches and acts of hate, Lantos Human Rights Commission of the US
including vandalised mosques, torched churches, House of Representatives, listed several warning
and communal violence,” said Democratic Sen- emergence of trends and practices that dispute signs that showed India’s “alarming backsliding”
ator Ed Markey, who has a history of taking an- the well-established principle of civic national- on human rights, according to a media release
ti-India stands, including opposing the landmark ism and interpose a new and imaginary practice issued by the Indian American Muslim Council.
India-US civil nuclear deal during the Manmo- of cultural nationalism.... It wants to distinguish The Indian government has asserted that In-
han Singh regime. citizens on the basis of their faith, give vent to in- dia has well-established democratic practices and
Participating in the panel discussion from tolerance, insinuate otherness, and promote dis- robust institutions to safeguard the rights of all.
India, former vice president Hamid Ansari ex- quiet and insecurity,” he alleged. The government has emphasised that the
pressed his concern over the rising trend of Hin- The three other Congressmen who spoke Indian Constitution provides for adequate safe-
du nationalism. during the panel discussion -- Jim McGovern, guards under various statutes for ensuring the
“In recent years, we have experienced the Andy Levin and Jamie Raskin -- have tradition- protection of human rights.

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