← Back to Westminster Hall Debates
India: Persecution of Minority Groups
12 January 2021
Lead MP
Jim Shannon
Strangford
DUP
Responding Minister
Nigel Adams
Tags
Foreign AffairsWomen & Equalities
Word Count: 12615
Other Contributors: 8
At a Glance
Jim Shannon raised concerns about india: persecution of minority groups in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Mr Shannon calls for robust human rights provisions in future trade agreements with India, urging the Minister to support Indian counterparts in realizing political, strategic, and economic benefits through guaranteeing rule of law and human rights.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Mr Shannon is concerned about the persecution of Muslims, Christians and other minority groups in India. He cites a 28% rise in communal violence between 2014 and 2017 with 822 incidents resulting in 111 deaths and over 2384 injuries, according to IndiaSpend's analysis of Indian Home Ministry data. The debate highlights the growing mob violence, anti-conversion laws, worsening social discrimination, stripping of citizenship rights, and verbal hostility against religious minorities.
Barry Gardiner
Lab
Brent West
Mr. Barry Gardiner expressed his reservations about holding a debate on the persecution of minority groups in India, suggesting that such debates might not be welcomed by Indians due to Britain's colonial past and its influence in pitting religious or ethnic groups against each other. He highlighted concerns raised by some of his constituents regarding the timing and relevance of the debate amidst the UK's own pressing issues like the coronavirus pandemic. In an intervention, Barry Gardiner emphasised the need for humility and appropriateness when discussing foreign affairs, particularly considering Britain's history as a colonial power in India. He reminded that during this period, communities were often pitted against each other.
David Linden
Lab
Glasgow East
David Linden highlighted the knee-jerk reactions to the debate, emphasizing that foreign affairs is a reserved matter for Parliament. He cited reports from Open Doors UK and Christian Solidarity Worldwide on escalating human rights violations against religious minorities in India, including violence, social ostracism, property destruction, hate speech, and disruption of peaceful non-Hindu religious activities. He also mentioned the spitting, oppressive, and minority politics highlighted by the South Asia state of minorities report. Mr Linden intervened to ask the Minister if he would raise this issue personally with Prime Minister Modi when they meet.
Edward Leigh
Con
Gainsborough
Mr Edward Leigh emphasized the importance of standing up for human rights in India, noting that although Hindus make up the majority of the population, their proportion has been declining. He highlighted instances of violence against religious minorities and quoted statistics on anti-conversion laws and violent incidents. He expressed concern over Hindu nationalism and its impact on other religions, particularly Christianity and Islam.
Gregory Campbell
DUP
East Londonderry
He congratulated colleagues for campaigning on issues related to minority persecution in India and suggested that influencing figures in the Indian sub-continent could help address these issues by lobbying the Indian Government.
Naseem Shah
Lab
Bradford West
Shah highlighted the rise of nationalist politics and its impact on minority rights in India under Narendra Modi's BJP Government, citing instances of violence against Muslims and discriminatory policies like the controversial citizenship law. He also mentioned forced singing of the national anthem by Muslim men, mob attacks, and the use of brute force against Indian farmers mainly from Sikh communities. Ms Shah asked for an intervention from the Minister but did not provide further details in her brief statement.
Stephen Kinnock
Lab
Aberafan Maesteg
Mr Kinnock highlighted the Labour party's commitment to defending religious freedoms and human rights. He noted that recent authoritarian regimes are growing, which makes it crucial for democracies like India to uphold these values. Mr Kinnock cited examples of persecution against minorities in India, such as Muslims being harassed by Hindu majority groups during communal violence in 2020.
Stephen Timms
Lab
East Ham
Stephen Timms highlighted the growing violence against religious minorities in India, citing reports that place India among the top countries for persecution of Christians and Muslims. He mentioned a surge of militant Hindu pressure on religious minorities since 2014 when the current government was elected, resulting in an increase from number 32 to being one of the worst 10 countries by 2019. Timms pointed out that mob lynching against Muslims, Christians, and Dalits is increasing due to state negligence or complicity.
Theresa Villiers
Con
Chichester
India is a vibrant, pluralist democracy where freedom of religion is protected by law. The size of minority populations has been growing, with Muslims and Christians representing significant portions of the population. Despite some incidents of hate speech and violence, Theresa Villiers argues that there is no evidence of systemic or state-sponsored persecution. She highlights India's democratic success in tackling difficult issues while ensuring human rights protections and encourages consideration of serious matters raised.
Government Response
Nigel Adams
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Robertson. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Strangford for securing the debate and the role he plays on this issue in this House. The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, which is one of our human rights priorities. India faces challenges in enforcing its constitutional protections for freedom of religion or belief, but thanks to our close relationship with India, we are able to discuss these issues openly and make clear our concerns. I can confirm that during the Foreign Secretary's visit to India in December, he raised a number of human rights issues with his Indian counterpart, including the situation in Kashmir and our concern around many consular cases. Our acting high commissioner in New Delhi discussed the UK's parliamentary interest in minorities in India with officials from India's Ministry of External Affairs on 4 January. Over the last three years, our high commission has worked with local NGOs to bring together hundreds of young people of diverse faiths in three cities in India to work together on social action projects in their local communities, thereby promoting a culture of interfaith dialogue. We have directly raised the case of Father Stan Swamy with the Indian authorities and will continue to monitor such cases and raise them where appropriate. With regard to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, Lord Ahmad has previously raised our concerns about the impact of recent legislative and judicial measures on India's minorities directly with Ministers. We keenly await details of any next steps that they take following the NRC in Assam.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.