IHRC’s work on India has tackled both: the structural issues of post-independence India that have perpetuated inequalities for minoritized communities; and the rise to power of Hindutva political forces in the last few decades. Our campaigns demand change of the unjust laws and policies, as well as redress and justice for victims of state violence and societal hatred.  You can find the latest actions for campaigners, reports, research and background information on this page.

Post-independence India suffered a colonial legacy of divide and rule.  Minoritised communities suffered institutional discrimination and societal prejudice.  Within this context a rise of Islamophobia has been propelled by the rise of “Hindutva”, which saw the far-right Hindutva party the BJP win an absolute majority within the Lok Sabha (Indian parliament) in 2014. This neo-fascist government has promoted hatred of religious minorities, in particular Muslims, through laws and heightened rhetoric.

Some examples of this include the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, which made religion the primary criteria for acquiring Indian citizenship.  Among other measures the Act offers refuge to persecuted religious minorities, except Muslims, from neighbouring. Alongside the the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR), these measures arguably mirror the Nuremberg Laws.

NRC deems as Indian citizens all those who can prove they were residents of Assam before 24 March 1971 – the day before the creation of Bangladesh. The process shifts the burden of proving citizenship onto individuals and is based on the production of a series of documents that many simply don’t have. This has resulted in millions of people, notably but not solely Muslim, being rendered stateless. Reduced to the status of illegal immigrants there are fears that they and more like them to come, risk being put into concentration camps and dispossessed of any property and rights that come with citizenship.

Alongside these measures there has been an increase in Islamophobic mob attacks. The police and other actors within the legal system often collude with the mobs, letting them free or ensuring they receive lighter sentences.

Meanwhile, the rise of Hindutva lobbies in the diaspora has meant that international governmental criticism of India has been curtailed.  For there to be serious change in India, all these issues need to be tackled.

Join the struggle for equal citizenship and social justice in India, via this campaign.