In a fireside chat at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dismissed allegations of violence against minorities in India. She highlighted that the Muslim population is only increasing in India and India has the second-largest Muslim population in the world. She contrasted this with Pakistan, which was formed at the same time as India and declared itself an Islamic country, yet the minorities have been dwindling and some of the Muslim sects have also been decimated in Pakistan. Sitharaman noted that law and order is a state subject in India, and each province has its elected government that takes care of the law and order in those states. She said the notion that across the board in India, violence against Muslims is happening is a fallacy.
‘To say it’s all the blame of the government of India. I would like to say then, between 2014 and today, has the population dwindled, has the debts been disproportionately high in any one particular community,’ Sitharaman said. ‘I would rather invite these people who write these reports to come to India. I’ll host them, let them come and travel alone to India and prove their point.’
Sitharaman also highlighted that violence prevails against Muhajirs, Shias, and other minority groups in Pakistan, whereas in India, every strand of the Muslim community is doing its business. ‘India was divided into two Pakistans. Pakistan declared itself an Islamic country but said minorities will be protected. Every minority has been dwindling in number or decimated in Pakistan,’ she said.
Sitharaman further pointed out that the law and order systems in India are different in each province, which are run by the elected governments. ‘So, that itself tells you how these reports have no clue of the law and order systems in India,’ she added.
In conclusion, around 62 per cent of the world’s Muslims live in the Asia-Pacific region, with over one billion adherents, and Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in a country.
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