India: From Partition to Persecution

India: From Partition to Persecution

Leicester MEND WG conducted an interview, with world-renowned journalist CJ Werleman and human rights activist/ film producer Dr. Manisha Nathaniel Maganji unraveling the situation on the ground for Muslims and other minorities in Modi’s India.

Dr. Manisha, who is co-founder of the group International Network Of Democratic Indians Abroad (I.N.D.I.A ) and co producer of the film, Covid-19 The Blame Game, spoke of why she felt the need to highlight the plight of minorities in India. She emphasized the politicization of the (peaceful) Hindu religion to fulfill the government’s Hindutva narrative and how othering minorities was a tactical strategy. She described the poverty index and illiteracy index as being unacceptable in India and with many other problems exasperated by the pandemic they were scapegoating the minorities for their problems.

This sentiment was echoed by CJ Werleman explaining that Modhi was part of the international populist train where nationalism is the most important thing and in order to appeal to nationalist sentiments other groups, usually minorities are otherized and more often demonized.

They both spoke of horrific incidents of attacks and murders with the formation of vigilante groups working in impunity and in some cases with law enforcers with C J declaring that he believed that “200 million Muslims in India are on the brink of genocide”.

The interview went into some depth about the role the media had played in creating such a toxic environment and how many media outlets appeared to be a mouthpiece for the ruling BJP party.

Horrific videos and photos were shown of both police and public brutality towards both Muslims and Dalits with Dr. Manisha explaining that many Christians have been targeted too.

The show went on to explore ways people can support those that are being persecuted in India. They emphasized assisting established organizations like INDIA and support the work being done by CJ financially. To raise awareness in this country by contacting your local MP and putting pressure on our government to raise concerns with their counterparts in India.

Finally, the show went on to discuss what lessons could be learnt for those of us living in the west to ensure we or our children do not suffer a similar fate. How standing up to wrong regardless of who it is committed against is a civil and moral duty if we do not wish to suffer a similar fate. The importance of working with and challenging, when necessary, governments on their policies in order to ensure civil liberties are not slowly eroded.
Overall, a fantastic, thought-provoking, sometimes depressing but mostly inspiring event which shone a torchlight on the atrocities being conducted against minorities in India but a larger light on our personal responsibility to all the oppressed peoples of the world.

To view the full webinar please follow the link.