British concerned about Hindutva
The British Parliament laments that “freedom of religion or belief” was
in danger in Narendra Modi’s India. The British government is to raise the issue with Modi when he visits
the United Kingdom in mid-April 2018.
Britain’s alarm at the decline of religious freedom across the
(non-Western) world is articulated through a series of imperialist assumptions.
The achievement of Europe in any given field becomes the unquestioned yardstick
against which the achievements and failures of all societies are measured. The Westminster Hall debate, which voiced
concerns about the decline in freedom of religion, was almost casually
“Eurocentric.”
The UK has seen an unprecedented rise in hate crimes against Muslims in
recent years. Why doesn’t British Parliament debate over that issue?
Britain is far more desperate to forge closer ties with India. Already there
are reports of bilateral meetings being scheduled between Modi and British
Prime Minister Theresa May where trade and business agreements are to be
discussed. There is also talk of setting up a regional trade hub in India. It
is unlikely that Britain will want to annoy the visiting Prime Minister with
irritants such as issues of religious persecution.
While discussion of religious and caste discrimination in India by any
other country including parliament and government may be positive news worth
appreciating, the real sincerity lies in their contribution to reduce the
conflict. Almost no western country has reprimanded the Indian rulers or right
wing Hindutva forces. In fact, foreign nations busy with trade relations never
bothered to threaten with economic sanctions or some other step.
The Western political elite are finding ways of perpetrating imperialism
and corporate alliance beneficial to them rather than showing interest in socio-economic
and cultural empowerment of deprived classes of India and its manu order
seeping into the very fabric of society destroying communal harmony and the
cherished goal of socialism and welfare state
If you see from one angle, it is hypocritical of some MPs in British
Parliament discussing religious persecution in India. Many Indians fail to understand as to why
interference by British is a good news? No ordinary Indian who lives in India would find this true today. The
MPs in British Parliament were more concerned about their local vote banks than
about Christianity or Sikh faith. Just to note that less than 10% (5.6 million)
of UK population is Church going and the number is declining, most sharply,
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