Rights groups to protest Modi’s Australia visit over India’s human rights record
Amnesty urges Australia to raise civic space crackdown with Modi
Canberra/New Delhi: International and Australian human rights organizations have announced protests during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia, urging the Australian government to raise concerns over the worsening human rights situation in India, particularly the treatment of Muslims and other religious minorities.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Narendra Modi arrived in Austraila on Thursday for a two day visit.
A report published by The Guardian said Australian civil society organizations have planned demonstrations to highlight religious intolerance, discrimination and the persecution of minorities in India. The groups said that the Modi-led government was promoting the extremist Hindutva ideology and fostering an environment in which religious and ethnic minorities face increasing marginalization.
Supporters of the Khalistan movement, which advocates for an independent homeland for Sikhs in India, are also expected to protest against Modi’s visit.
Amnesty International has urged the Australian government to use Modi’s visit to raise concerns over the shrinking civic space in India, including restrictions on journalists, human rights defenders and religious minorities. The organization said Muslim refugees had been forcibly expelled under India’s controversial citizenship law, while incidents of violence in Chhattisgarh, Manipur and Ladakh had gone uninvestigated.
Indian political analyst Jaithirth Rao criticized the Modi government, saying minority issues should be addressed with wisdom and fairness rather than exploited for political gain. He said that the government’s policies towards minorities were deepening social divisions and contributing to growing instability in the country.
Prominent Indian human rights lawyer Colin Gonsalves also expressed concern over India’s deteriorating human rights situation, saying numerous incidents of state-sponsored abuses had occurred over the past five years without credible investigations or accountability for those responsible.
He further said it was deeply alarming that even serious crimes, including killings, were often met with impunity, reflecting a growing culture of unaccountability.
Modi’s visit is being viewed as significant for strengthening bilateral relations and economic cooperation between India and Australia. However, the planned protests by human rights organizations have overshadowed the visit, drawing renewed international attention to India’s human rights record and its treatment of minorities.
