EU Parliament Resolution: “Acts Of Violence And Increasing Nationalistic Rhetoric” In India Are Concerning (file image: PM Modi meeting with Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission)
European parliament adopted a resolution expressing concern about “acts of violence, increasing nationalistic rhetoric and divisive policies” in India. Only months remaining for the Lok Sabha polls, the resolution pulls in attention to acts of violence and discrimination against religious minorities and the “harmful effect” of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and the Unlawful Activities (prevention) Act on the civil society organization.
It also urged the European Council and European Commission to call on political leaders in India to “cease making inflammatory statements in order to resolve social conflicts, including those in Manipur”. Manipur is still reeling under the ethnic conflict between Meithei and Kuki tribal groups. The conflict which began in May 2023, has killed over 200 people and displaced more than 60,000.
The European Parliament went on to say that there was a need to closely monitor the “worrying situation” in Jammu and Kashmir which is pertaining to human rights and fundamental freedoms. It said that the European Commission and European Council should remain committed towards the “de-escalation and rapprochement through good neighbourly relations between India and Pakistan”.
The resolution submitted called the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as “dangerously divisive” and stated that the law, combined with other legislation that discriminate on the grounds of religion, are matters of serious concern. The resolution also added that both the European Commission and Council should work with India to secure safe and democratic environment for human rights workers and environmental defenders, indigenous people and Dalit rights defenders, political opponents and trade union activists, journalists and other civil society actors. It said India should stop invoking laws pertaining sedition, foreign funding, and terrorism to restrict works of the civil society actors.
The resolution was adopted as a result of the Central government’s crack down on multiple research and non-governmental organizations in the country by canceling or refusing to renew Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act Licenses. Claudio Francavilla, who is associate EU advocacy director at international non-governmental organization, Human Rights Watch, said that the European Parliament’s resolution was an indictment of the Modi government. He said silence from India’s international partners has green-flagged the continuing abuses in the country. He further added that other European Institutions and European governments and India’s Western partners should “urgently make clear to Modi’s government that its crackdown on rights will have consequences for India’s bilateral relations on the world stage”.
India hasn’t responded to the resolution officially yet.
