Canberra: Renowned Australian politician Lee Rhiannon while expressing solidarity with the Kashmiri people urged the international community to globally remember those were killed and suffered at the hands of Indian occupation forces in the territory.
Recently, Human Rights Watch (HRW) submission highlighting human rights violations and atrocities on minorities especially Muslims is an indicting evidence against Modi led BJP being echoed in Australian parliament.
Australia, an important stakeholder in Asia Pacific region and part of Western Block, claims to be a vibrant multicultural democracy, putting HR on its top priority with no compromise on transgressions by any country.
As per report, Indian government led by Hindu nationalist BJP and PM Modi has escalated its suppression tactics on civil society groups and the media.
Authorities prosecute HR activists, journalists, peaceful protesters, and other critics on fabricated criminal charges, including of terrorism. They have shut down rights groups using foreign funding regulations or unfounded allegations of financial irregularities.
The government has adopted laws and policies that discriminate against religious minorities, especially Muslims. The Human Rights Watch questioning Indian state sponsored violence demands a proactive stance by Australia to take concrete steps to upheld Human rights, pressurize and coerce with available means to stop BJP from transgression.
However, to date the Australian government has sometimes overlooked or played down human rights violations committed in India apparently due to its trade/business interests negating the western cardinal principles of right to religion, freedom of expression, right to have dissent, and freedom of living a noble life.
There is an emergent need on the part of Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to draft a public policy document on human rights violations in India that should be updated regularly, setting out DFAT’s vision and goals on human rights, picturing India with effective strategies to prevent human rights and promote democracy meted out to Minorities and Muslims in general.
It is pertinent that western countries like UK, US already initiated such platforms based on western democratic models. Moreover, in 2021 the Australian government passed new legislation that makes it easier for the government to impose targeted sanctions on those responsible for serious human rights violations in the region.
India is rife with Hindutva extremists involved in state sponsored abuses and atrocities. The benchmarks might include sanctioning people/organizations who commit serious abuses or corruption with impunity should not be able to travel to Australia or hide their assets in Australian bank accounts. Targeted sanctions raise the cost of serious human rights violations.
With Australia’s growing trade and political with India, Australian officials have been reluctant to condemn the Modi governments crackdown on Minorities. This “quiet diplomacy” approach has emboldened the Indian government to widen its repression Circle.
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