On Monday, 10 October, Indian human rights defenders (HRDs) and journalists John Dayal, Nadeem Khan, Arshi Qureshi and Meer Faisal addressed an audience of European decision-makers. From different generations and different faith groups, the message of the HRDs was a uniform one: Religious minorities in India are under extreme threat.
Between January 2017-September 2022, there were over 1436 verified instances of hate crimes in India. Over 86% of victims are Muslims, although violence against Christians has also risen by 81% between 2020 and 2021. Communal violence, physical assaults and lynchings have surged especially since congregations led by Hindu extremist leaders in December 2021, where attendees called for the elimination of religious minorities.