Thread by @VicAdvInt

#India, #HateCrimes & the new #FCRA law.

A Hate Crime Tracker by @IndiaSpend shows that 90% of religious hate crimes in the last decade have occurred since @narendramodi came to power. 1/16

scroll.in/article/901206…

Former Civil Servant & now an anti-hate activist @harsh_mander who runs @karwanemohabbat observed
India has seen several instances of lynchings in which frenzied mobs have targeted people mainly because of their religious or caste identity – for being Muslim or Dalit. 2/16

Condemning on of the several attacks @USCIRF vice chair @tperkins said, "We condemn in the strongest terms this brutal murder, in which the perpetrators reportedly forced Ansari to say Hindu chants as they beat him for hours,". 3/16

business-standard.com/article/pti-st…

With the rise in Hindu Nationalist politics and increase in crimes against minorities, @abhishekdey wrote in @scroll
observing a disturbing trend on behalf of Indian Government of undercounting religious hate crimes. 4/16

scroll.in/article/863176…

It is done by not invoking crucial sections of the laws related to these crimes. The scale of these hate crimes remains obscured and bitterly contested because of the official policy of the National Crime Records Bureau to not keep a separate record of hate crimes/lynching 5/16

.@hrw in its 2017 report observed - Vigilante violence aimed at religious minorities, marginalized communities, and critics of the government—often carried out by groups claiming to support the ruling @bjp became an increasing threat in India. 6/16
hrw.org/world-report/2…

With International pressure building, and diaspora population organizing protests & pushing their respective country's politicians to condemn the growing hindutva authoritarianism in India, Indian Government decides to give a blow to Civil Society with the new #FCRA act. 7/16

There were a few attacks before the law was brought in the Parliament.
A criminal case against @LCHIVWRI in 2019 with the use of foreign funding law by the Indian authorities was an harassment of outspoken rights groups, @hrw & @AIIndia observed. 8/16

hrw.org/news/2019/06/2…

.@AIIndia was first raided in 2018. @Aakar__Patel said, "The authorities are now treating human rights organizations like criminal enterprises, using heavy-handed methods that are commonly found in repressive states " 9/16
amnesty.org/en/latest/news…

Again in November 2019 @AIIndia was raided for alleged #FCRA violations. "Over the past year, a pattern of harassment has emerged every time Amnesty India stands up and speaks out against human rights violations in India." Amnesty statement read.

mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/news/india/cbi…
10/16

Over 1300 NGOs' #FCRA license was cancelled by the Indian authorities in 2019.
These cancellations and the attacks on @AIIndia @LCHIVWRI & other organizations was a precursor to the new #FCRA law passed by the Indian Government. 11/16

.@amitabhbe CEO of @OxfamIndia says the new law has a clear political message 'Fall In Line'.
The government doesn't want any opposition to it agenda. Challenge to power is seen with suspicion and crushed with brute force.
12/16
scroll.in/article/973909…

This is a major blow to #Democracy in India, which is already going through a turmoil & where religious minorities are under threat. Civil Societies play an important role in raising awareness, advocating against these Human Rights Violations, and working for upliftment of 13/16

the marginalised. That is under a direct threat now. It will have far-reaching consequences on the fields of education, health, people’s livelihoods, gender justice and indeed democracy in India.
14/16

While on one hand the atrocities against religious & caste minorities are on arise in India, India had recently denied VISA to @USCIRF teams that had sought to visit India in connection with issues related to religious freedom. aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/1…

15/16

By this the Indian Government is giving out a clear message that it won't tolerate criticism.
In these times the real question is how will victims get #Justice. How will the world & International groups ensure situation in #India doesn't worsen for its minorities?
16/16

#India, #HateCrimes & the new #FCRA law.

@StopFundingHate @carolecadwalla @article19asia @Article14live @HartoshSinghBal @commentator01 @nadinemaenza @fernanddev @mg2411 @UNHumanRights @FCDOHumanRights @EURightsAgency @OpenSociety @RapporteurUn @UN_SPExperts @matthewfsmith