Religious, caste-based violence in India shows no signs of slowing down
IndiaReligiousApartheid
Islamabad: India’s deteriorating human rights record, particularly its treatment of religious minorities and marginalized castes, continues to draw serious concern from international rights bodies.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the surge in hate speech and violence under the BJP-led Modi government has reinforced fears that India is becoming increasingly intolerant, discriminatory, and unsafe, especially for Muslims, Dalits, and Christians.
The inflammatory rhetoric has reached alarming levels. Indian Prime Minister NarendraModihimself labeling Muslims as “infiltrators,” while Telangana BJP MLA T. Raja Singh openly called for the demolition of mosques. Such hate-filled language from top political leaders has normalized violence against minorities and deepened societal divides.
In Modi’sHindutva-driven government, safety and dignity remain privileges reserved for upper-caste Hindus. Dalits continue to be treated as second-class citizens — dehumanized, marginalized, and denied basic rights by the caste-dominated system.
In a disturbing incident from Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, two Dalit youths were tied to a pole and brutally thrashed by a Hindu mob after they went to watch the KanwarYatra. The mob accused them of theft—a charge widely seen as a mere pretext to publicly humiliate and terrorize the Dalit community. Such vigilante acts send a chilling message: in Modi’sHindutva-ruled India, Dalits are not equal citizens.
The caste violence extends far beyond street brutality. Recently, a young Dalit software engineer in Tamil Nadu was hacked to death in Tirunelveli in a gruesome honor killing—his only “crime” was loving someone outside his caste.
Structural discrimination runs deep in India. Although Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) comprise nearly 75–80% of the population, they remain glaringly absent from the country’s power structures and elite positions.
In judiciary, over 80% of Indian judges hail from upper-caste backgrounds. In Indian Administrative Services, between 2018-22,SCs received only 7.6% of positions and OBCs 15.9%, both significantly below mandated quotas. In addition to this, most ambassadorial appointments continue to go to upper-caste individuals.Even in education, reserved faculty positions lie vacant across Central Universities. A staggering 83% of professorships reserved for STs remain vacant, along with 80% for OBCs and 64% for SCs. The trend continues at the associate professor level, where 65% of ST, 69% of OBC, and 51% of SC posts remain unfilled.
“This is not administrative oversight; it is deliberate systemic exclusion of marginalized communities from higher academia,” said a rights activist, calling it a modern manifestation of caste apartheid.
Adding to the injustice, during Operation Sindoor in May, a military aircraft crashed in Bathinda’sAkaliaKalan, killing a Dalit laborer. Despite the family’s dependence on the victim’s income, the Indian government has failed to offer any compensation.
Christians have also faced relentless persecution. Human rights bodies reported 161 incidents of anti-Christian violence in 2024 alone, including 47 in Chhattisgarh. These include attacks on churches and prayer meetings, physical assaults and harassment, and false accusations of forced conversions
In Modi’s India, upper-caste privilege has been institutionalized, while minorities and lower castes face daily humiliation, violence, and denial of rights. This dangerous blend of religious extremism and caste supremacy is pushing India towards a moral and constitutional breakdown.
