By Muhammad Kamal 

26th January is celebrated in India as the Republic Day because on this day in 1950 Indian constitution was promulgated. Thereafter no one bothered to look into the provisions of that constitution that was primarily meant to make India a secular state. Over the time due to its hardcore nationalist and Hindutva driven policies, India has gained notoriety across the globe for its ill-treatment of the minorities. The saffronist group dominated the decision making positions at national level that has virtually sabotaged the secular status of Indian constitution.

According to the World Report 2023 of Human Rights Watch on India; “The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government continued its systematic discrimination and stigmatization of religious and other minorities, particularly Muslims. BJP supporters increasingly committed violent attacks against minorities. The government’s Hindu majoritarian ideology and change in its strategic culture was reflected in its institutions, including the justice system and constitutional authorities like the National Human Rights Commission. Indian authorities intensified restrictions on free expression and peaceful assembly in Jammu and Kashmir.”

The report further added; “In October 2022, police in Gujarat publicly flogged Muslim men accused of disrupting a Hindu festival in a form of abusive punishment while authorities in Madhya Pradesh demolished the homes of three men accused of throwing stones at a Hindu ceremonial dance, without any legal authorization. In April 2022, authorities in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Delhi summarily demolished property mostly owned by Muslims in response to communal clashes. Although they tried to justify the demolitions by claiming the structures were illegal, the destruction appeared intended to be collective punishment for Muslims. ‘Houses that were involved in stone pelting will be turned into rubble,’ the BJP home minister in Madhya Pradesh state warned. In June 2022, a BJP politician’s remarks against the Prophet Mohammed led to widespread protests by Muslims across the country. Police in Jharkhand allegedly used excessive force against protesters, killing two people, while authorities in Uttar Pradesh illegally demolished homes of Muslims suspected of being “key conspirators” behind protest violence.”

The Report says, “the National Human Rights Commission recorded 147 fatalities in police custody, 1,882 deaths in judicial detention, and 119 suspected extrajudicial executions in the first nine months of 2022.”

On freedom of expression the report says, “Authorities arrested journalists critical of the government on politically motivated charges. In July, police in Jharkhand arrested independent journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh, who reports on the rights of Adivasi communities, on various charges, including under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), a draconian counterterrorism law. Singh and his wife were petitioners in the Supreme Court on the government’s alleged use of Israeli-produced spyware Pegasu to target journalists and activists, after their phone numbers were included on a list of potential targets. Authorities also continued to stop activists and journalists critical of the government, from traveling abroad.”

End of June 2022, a Panel of Independent International Experts (the Panel), consisting of three renowned international law experts, including Sonja Biserko, Marzuki Darusman and Stephen Rapp, launched their report on serious human rights violations against Muslims in India since 2019. The Panel found that there is credible evidence to suggest that a wide range of international human rights of Muslim communities have been violated by the authorities in India. According to the evidence reviewed, federal and state-level authorities “adopted a wide range of laws, policies and conduct that target Muslims directly or affect them disproportionately.” In relation to violations perpetrated by non-state actors, the State failed to take the necessary measures to prevent the acts, effectively in vestigate and prosecute them. The Panel further found that some of the violations may amount to crimes against humanity, war crimes and incitement to commit genocide.

Considering such irregularities and making the constitution a laughing stock Indians should celebrate 26th January as ‘Banana Republic Day’, because the constitutional sovereignty is neither followed nor preached. The world besides giving rhetorical references must also take practical measures to stop India from severe Human Rights violations. In true sense it is the 73rd Republic day for the Sanghis as their extremist ideology is what that is currently being followed in India under the constitutional ambit. Indeed, this Republic Day remind us of Indian brutalities and persecution of minorities committed day and night by Modi’s fascist government.