India Rejects Allegations of Declining Minority Rights, Media Freedom: ‘Full Democracy’ | Today’s news
India has flatly rejected allegations of declining media freedom and erosion of religious and minority rights, saying the country is a “vibrant democracy” that guarantees freedom of speech for all. The remarks were made by Sibi George, Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs, in response to questions from two Dutch reporters who cited comments allegedly made by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten expressing concern over a perceived decline in freedom of expression in India.
George was speaking to the media in the Dutch capital on Saturday evening regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to the Netherlands.
It was not immediately clear whether Jetten made the remarks.
Jetten, however, said in a post on social media: “Both India and the Netherlands attach great importance to democracy, good governance and a world order based on rules and justice.”
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George refuted the allegations and told the press, “We are facing these questions basically because of a lack of understanding of the person asking the question. India is a country of 1.4 billion people, the most populous country in the world.”
George highlighted how India belongs to a five thousand year old civilization and the cultural, religious and linguistic diversity of the country. “Look at India, how beautiful it is. There is no other country in the world where four religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism – originated in India. These religions originated in India and continue to flourish in India.”
George highlighted how the world’s great religions have found a home in India and continue to thrive. “India is perhaps only one of the few countries where the Jewish population has never faced persecution. That’s the beauty of India. Then look again at Islam or Christianity.”
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Referring to the recently held parliamentary elections in several regions of the country, the diplomat said India is a “vibrant democracy” where “peaceful transfer of power” is a key feature.
“Recently we had elections. You know, you have to know what was the participation rate. More than 90% voters voted. That’s the beauty of India,” he said.
George said India has achieved economic success without “compromising” democratic principles. “We did not resort to violence to eliminate poverty. We went through a democratic process to eliminate poverty.”
“We are one-sixth of the world’s total population, but not one-sixth of the world’s problems. That is the beauty of India, we are proud of it. So every minority thrives,” he said.
“When we got independence, the minority population in India was 11 percent. Now it is more than 20 percent. Name a country where the minority population has gone up? You won’t find it (anywhere) other than India,” the diplomat said in his rebuttal.
“This is the beauty of India. So I would like to ask you to learn more about India, to appreciate more what India is and how it is developing,” he said.
Also, in a social media post after his meeting with Prime Minister Modi on Sunday, Prime Minister Jetten referred to the long-standing child custody dispute that had come up in previous diplomatic engagements between the two countries.
“We also talked about the case of Insiya being kidnapped to India by her father,” Jetten said.
Insiya Hemani, a Dutch child, was taken from Amsterdam to India allegedly by men acting on behalf of her father about ten years ago when she was a toddler. The Dutch courts eventually convicted several people on kidnapping charges in the case, while the Indian courts continued the detention and trial related to the case.
When asked about the case, George declined to comment, saying it was a legal proceeding.
