21^st March is being observed as International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination across the world. The day aims to raise awareness about equality and marks as an initiative to end all forms of racism and racial discrimination and calls all sections of society to stand up against intolerant attitudes. International peace and human rights organizations reports have revealed that India’s Hindu extremist government, through RSS has made horrifying life for Muslims, Christians, Dalits, and Sikhs. Bihar has a notorious record for crimes against Dalits. In 2021, 139045 incidents against Dalits were filed in various states. According to United Christian Forum, violence against Christians has geared up in New Delhi, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh since 2018, with perpetrators accusing them of forcefully converting Hindus. In the year 2021, the number of violent incidents against Christians jumped to 486, while 279 in 2020. During a congressional briefing in the US, Dr Gregory Stanton also warned that genocide would continue in India unless the international community played its part in confronting the “Hindutva” ideology. India has entered into a very critical phase of communal strife after the Hindu zealots led by RSS-inspired BJP leaders openly called for the genocide of the Muslims and persecution of other minorities through tacit extreme ploys. Professor of human rights law at American University in Washington, DC. Juan E Mendez has termed the communal situation in India, “dangerous” and “deeply disturbing”.  From genocide in Kashmir to suppression of religious minorities, India has become an apartheid state where human rights and equality have become a far-flung idea. US and EU must rise above their economic and strategic interests and call for the protection of human rights in Indian minorities and Kashmiris in IIOJK.

Kashmir is an UN-recognized disputed territory and India wants to distort reality about the Kashmir’s freedom struggle by holding a G-20 summit in IIOJK. G-20 summit in IIOJK is a smokescreen aimed at diverting international attention from massive human rights violations being perpetrated by Indian troops in IIOJK. Recently, Canada’s News Democratic Party (NDP) asked its government to boycott G-20 events planned in IIOJK, citing discriminatory anti-minority laws, its threats of ethnic cleansing, persecution of minorities, and the arrests of journalists and human rights activists. International community is well aware of the that lasting peace in South Asia can only be guaranteed by granting the people of IIOJK their inalienable right to self-determination as pledged to them in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. It is pertinent to mention that India is likely to face serve diplomatic fallout for its deceitful intent in holding an event in IIOJK. Diplomatic circles in China, Canada and Turkey have sounded their concern, KSA is likely to oppose any such attempt by Indian government. Indian government’s decision to use an international platform to pursue its nefarious design openly defying UN charter is highly objectionable act and be condemned by international stake holders and organizations. India is trying to set a wrong precedence which will serious undermine the credibility of international forums like G-20.

Senior BJP leader and former minister KS Eshwarappa has made a controversial remark on azaan during a public gathering in Bengaluru state of Karnataka. He said, “This (azaan) is a headache for me, wherever I go I have the same problem. Does Allah hear prayers only if one screams on a microphone? Is Allah deaf? I have no doubt there will be an end to this soon as there is a Supreme Court judgement. PM Modi has asked us to respect all religions, but I must ask can Allah hear only if you scream on a microphone? This issue must be resolved soon.” As soon as the azaan started, a visibly irked Eshwarappa began ranting against loudspeakers being used for the call to prayers. Eshwarappa also said, “I never told that we do not need Muslim votes. Our party needs vote of Muslims who are nationalists only.” Eshwarappa, who has also served as the state’s Deputy Chief Minister, is no stranger to controversies. He earlier sparked a row when he referred to 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan as a “Muslim gunda (goon)”. Later, he defended his controversial “Allah is deaf” remark, saying that he was just expressing what “a common man” felt about sounding the Islamic call to prayer through loudspeakers. Last year, Karnataka witnessed protests over the hijab, while some right-wing groups have also raised an objection over ‘halal’ meat. The Allahabad High Court in May 2022 ruled that delivering the Azaan on loudspeakers is not a fundamental right. The court further said that although Azaan is an integral part of Islam, it stated that delivering it through loudspeakers is not a part of the religion. In January 2023, Haridwar district administration fined seven mosques for causing noise pollution. Human rights Attorney Meetali Jain brought up the extent of hate speech and misinformation in India “of a genocidal character, very much akin” to what has been seen in Myanmar and Ethiopia. Two Indian journalists – Alishan Jafri and Kaushik Raj talked about how anti-Muslim violence had only been rising ever since Narendra Modi government came into power. What’s more, members of ruling party and ministers at the state and Central level have issued and supported such calls for genocide, without facing action. Jason Stanley, a professor of philosophy at Yale University and the author of How Fascism Works, compared what is happening in India now to Nazi Germany. “The early thinkers of the RSS made explicit suggestions that India should follow the Nazi’s model.”