EU is alarmed over India’s anti-Muslim Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Background
Action required
Model Template
Recipient email addresses
Background
On April 13, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament adopted a report which raised concern regarding India’s human right violations in general and anti-Muslim policies including India’s Citizenship Amendment Act. The report “voices alarm regarding India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is fundamentally discriminatory in nature against Muslims and dangerously divisive.”
The report echoed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and several UN Special Rapporteurs’ comments on India’s deteriorating human rights situation. It also included “reports that human rights defenders and journalists in the country lack a safe working environment. There are also concerns about the difficult situation faced by Indian women and minority groups, caste-based discrimination, as well as the closure of Amnesty International’s India offices after its bank accounts were frozen over an alleged violation of India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), a law three UN Special rapporteurs have asked to be amended.”
The report, adopted with 61 votes in favour and six votes against, will be made public after the European Parliament approves it.
India has been gripped by anti-Muslim violence following the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act. The new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), passed at the end of 2019, has made religion the primary criteria for acquiring Indian citizenship. The Act assures refuge to persecuted religious minorities, except Muslims, from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. This Act, read in conjunction with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR), is discriminatory and dangerous. The discriminatory policies adopted by the Indian government would inevitably lead to further escalation of the religious tension in India.
Action required
- Write to the Members of the European Parliament to urge them to ratify the report and take the report’s concerns into full consideration in their future cooperation plans with India.
- Forward any responses you receive to us on info@ihrc.org so we can develop this campaign further.
- Share this alert and the reports and resources, and encourage others to join this campaign.
- Please ensure you share verified stories and information. Despite this situation existing for decades, mainstream media has only given it importance now, often spreading unverified reports and cases.
Model template
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]
Dear [Name of the MEP], Member of the European Parliament,
Re: The Foreign Affairs Committee’s report on deteriorating human rights situation in India.
I am writing to urge you to vote in favour of the Foreign Affairs Committee report on the deteriorating human rights situation in India, which will be voted at a European Parliament plenary.
On April 13, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament adopted a report which raised concern regarding India’s human right violations in general and anti-Muslim policies including India’s Citizenship Amendment Act. The report “voices alarm regarding India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is fundamentally discriminatory in nature against Muslims and dangerously divisive.”
The report also included “reports that human rights defenders and journalists in the country lack a safe working environment. There are also concerns about the difficult situation faced by Indian women and minority groups, caste-based discrimination, as well as the closure of Amnesty International’s India offices.”
India has been gripped by anti-Muslim violence following the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act. The new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), passed at the end of 2019, has made religion the primary criteria for acquiring Indian citizenship. The Act assures refuge to persecuted religious minorities, except Muslims, from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. This Act, read in conjunction with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR), is discriminatory and dangerous. The discriminatory policies adopted by the Indian government would inevitably lead to further escalation of the religious tension in India.
I look forward to your reply regarding this urgent matter.
Yours sincerely,
[Your signature]
[Your name]
Recipient email address
The country list of Members of the European Parliaments can be found on this European Parliament website: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/home
