1. Modi’s “Dangerous Silence” over dramatic rise in religious violence under his tenure

Prime Minister Modi’s first year in office saw a dramatic rise in religious violence amid his conspicuous silence to speak up or take action against the guilty. Hindu nationalists across the country burned numerous churches, forced Muslims and Christians to convert to Hinduism and unleashed widespread violence against religious minorities:

• The New York Times Editorial: Modi’s Dangerous Silence  
• The New York Times: Catholics Fear Campaign of Church Attacks in India
• The Washington Post: Are poor Indian Muslims being forced to convert to Hinduism?
• Christian Today: India: 600 violent attacks on Christians and Muslims since May 2014
• The Washington Post: India’s new school textbooks favor Hindu nationalist themes, making minorities uneasy

2. Modi introduced blasphemy style “anti-conversion” laws that can throw a person in jail for 7 years for changing their religion

Modi introduced ‘anti-conversion’ laws in Gujarat that criminalize religious conversion without prior government sanction with up to 7 years imprisonment. Under this law, the conversion of some 50,000 Dalits to Buddhism has been blocked. The Christian community is a particular target of this law.

• The Hindu: BJP calls for national anti-conversion law to curb conversions
• Scroll: How Madhya Pradesh sent 8-month-old Abhilasha to jail in an anti-conversion case – Recent cases in the state show how the anti-conversion law is being used as a political instrument to target Christians.
• The Indian Express: US religious freedom panel slams Modi government for India’s ‘minority policy’
• UCA News: Dalit conversions to Buddhism sparks probe in Gujarat  
• India Today: “Faith accompli: To stop forcible conversions, the Narendra Modi Government proposes an anti-conversion law”

3. Modi unrepentant over his role in Gujarat genocide

Modi remains unrepentant for his role as the Chief Minister who presided over the Gujarat genocide and subsequent targeted extra-judicial killings of innocent Muslim youth.

• Human Rights Watch report: “We have no orders to save you”
• The New York Times: Timeline of the Riots in Modi’s Gujarat
• Human Rights Watch: “A Decade on, Gujarat Justice Incomplete”
• The Hindu: “No Guilty Feeling About Gujarat Riots” says Modi
• The Washington Post: India’s Modi lets politics go to the dogs

 

Photo credit: Trey Ratcliff (cc-by-sa 2.0)