The speakers called on the international community to change its stance towards Prime Minister Modi, and reflected on his recent and upcoming visits to the United States and Europe. Kavita Srivastava commented: “If Joe Biden had to do this grand reception and give him the red carpet, he should have realised that he is actually endorsing somebody who directly and indirectly is responsible for a lot of these crimes.” Father Cedric Prakash called on members of the European Parliament to see through lies about human rights in India, and recognise the gravity of the situation. During Modi’s official state visit to the United States in June, 75 lawmakers in the United States had called on President Biden to address human rights with Modi, while others boycotted Modi’s speech. Stephen Rapp also noted the importance of joint press conferences, as they allow civil society and the international community to hold the Indian government accountable for its pledge to democracy.
The event took place as the EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief turn 10 years old, and as the EU takes stock of their implementation. In these guidelines, the EU commits to “publicly condemn the execution or killing of individuals and other acts of grave violence on the grounds of religion or belief”, which the panellists encouraged the EU to do in the case of India. Already in 2021, the European Parliament Intergroup on Freedom of Religion in its annual report considered India to be the country of most concern. Similarly, the 2023 USCIRF report by the United States cites India as being a “country of particular concern” regarding freedom of religion and belief.
The event was hosted by a coalition of Indian diaspora organisations, led by The London Story, and co-led by Indian American Muslim Council, UK Indian Muslim Council, Hindus for Human Rights, and Scottish Indians for Justice.
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