In India, a year marked by the growing repression of religious minorities

Demonstration in New Delhi on December 27, 2021, after Indian police said on December 24 that they had opened an investigation into an event in which Hindu hardliners called for massacres of Muslim minorities.

AFP - SAJJAD HUSSAIN

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The year ended on a disturbing note in the country, with numerous attacks by Hindus on Christian churches or Christmas gatherings.

However, these acts of violence against religious minorities are no longer exceptional.

They are even openly tolerated and even encouraged by the ruling Hindu nationalist leaders.  

Advertising

Read more

With our correspondent in New Delhi, 

At the end of October, three Muslim students were arrested by the state police of Uttar Pradesh and prosecuted for sedition: their crime, having supported the Pakistan team in a cricket final.

Two months later, ten days ago, in the neighboring state of Uttarakhand, a group of Hindus calls to take up arms to " 

 " of Islam and religious minorities and establish a "

". 

".

But faced with this call for genocide, the police recorded only a minor complaint for "

 ".

Two weights, two measures

The impunity of the Hindus is clear, which encourages them to organize further martial gatherings.

Federal political leaders remain silent.

Not surprisingly, since the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP party is linked to an organization that also calls for the creation of a Hindu state.

After seven years of

, Hindus are now attacking Christians, who represent less than 3% of the Indian population, but are accused of wanting, too, to convert all Hindus who nevertheless constitute 80% of the population. 

►

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• India

• Religion