India's Religious Minorities: A Growing Crisis of Discrimination and Global Implications

India, once proudly hailed as the world’s largest democracy and the bastion of secularism in South Asia, now finds its reputation under intense scrutiny. At home, religious minorities face increasing discrimination and violence, especially in states like Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and the northeastern regions. The most vulnerable among them—Muslims, followed closely by Christians, Dalits, and tribal communities—are suffering from a systemic erosion of their rights and dignity, while the political climate grows ever more hostile. This worsening situation demands urgent attention, both within India and from the international community.

Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed power in 2014, religious minorities in India have faced escalating threats, as the government has adopted policies that marginalize them based on their faith. These policies have ranged from bans on cow slaughter (a highly sensitive issue for Muslims and Dalits) to laws restricting interfaith marriages and conversions. The “love jihad” campaigns, which falsely accuse Muslim men of luring Hindu women into marriage to convert them, are among the most pernicious. Meanwhile, the hijab ban in schools and the demonization of Muslim single mothers have further compounded the social and economic isolation of Muslim communities, while Christians and Dalits face similar challenges.

At the heart of this escalating crisis lies the rise of Hindutva, a political ideology that envisions India as a Hindu-only nation, excluding and often vilifying its Muslim, Christian, and other religious minorities. This ideology, propagated by the BJP and its parent organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has emboldened religious extremists, resulting in increased violence against Muslims and Christians. The dangerous rhetoric of BJP leaders, such as Gyan Dev Ahuja, who has openly called for the killing of those involved in cow slaughter, has only worsened tensions in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi. Such calls for violence have led to mob attacks, often with tacit support from local authorities.

This culture of impunity, combined with government-sanctioned discrimination, has resulted in an increasingly polarized society. Economic boycotts of Muslim businesses, targeted hate crimes, and the widespread glorification of vigilante justice are now regular features of life for many minorities. The consequence is clear: religious violence is not an isolated issue but a structural one, with deep roots in the state’s legal and political apparatus.

International observers, including bodies like the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), have raised alarms over these developments. Their concerns have focused on the growing violence against religious minorities and the suppression of their basic human rights. However, the situation in India is not just a domestic issue—it is a global one, with profound implications for the Indian diaspora and the world at large.

The rise of Hindutva ideology is not confined to India’s borders. It has found fertile ground in Indian communities abroad, especially in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Edward TG Anderson, the author of *Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora*, has documented how Hindutva literature has been circulated globally for decades, often in the form of pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, and books. Much of this material is published by the RSS itself, reflecting the deep connections between the ideological currents in India and the diaspora. One notorious example is the 1990 pamphlet, *Hindus Abroad: Dilemma—Dollar or Dharma?*, which underscores the tension between economic success and ideological loyalty to Hindutva.

In recent years, the BJP has sought to exploit these transnational networks to further its agenda. The worldwide spread of Hindutva ideology has created a situation where the Indian diaspora, once seen as a unifying force, is increasingly divided along religious lines. It has even extended its influence to international politics, as seen in the protests organized by Indian diaspora groups in Canada and the United States. These protests, often in response to minor incidents like the Khalistan movement protests outside Hindu temples, serve to deflect attention from the real issues plaguing India’s minorities and instead turn the international spotlight on imagined slights to the Hindu community abroad.

The growing influence of Hindutva is not just an Indian domestic concern—it has serious global implications. Governments in the West must be vigilant about the spread of this ideology among their Indian diaspora communities. The fact that the BJP and its affiliates can mobilize overseas communities to promote a narrative that justifies violence and discrimination against minorities in India should raise serious questions about their impact on host countries. In the U.S., UK, and Canada, Hindutva groups have increasingly used platforms to disseminate propaganda that normalizes religious intolerance. The recent rise in hate crimes targeting Muslims and Sikhs in these countries may very well be linked to the global dissemination of Hindutva ideas.

What is clear is that India’s slide into religious majoritarianism is not a localized phenomenon—it is part of a broader global movement that must be checked at its roots. International bodies, including the UNHRC and USCIRF, must continue to hold India accountable for its treatment of religious minorities. At the same time, governments in countries with large Indian diasporas must take seriously the challenge of combating the spread of hate and intolerance within their borders. The United States, Canada, and the UK must scrutinize the activities of organizations linked to the RSS and other Hindutva proponents, ensuring that they do not foster division or fuel violence.

India’s founding vision of secularism, enshrined in its constitution, is now under grave threat. If the international community continues to turn a blind eye to the discrimination and violence faced by India’s minorities, it risks tacitly endorsing a model of governance that places the rights and safety of religious minorities in jeopardy. India’s fate as a pluralistic society hangs in the balance, and the world must take notice before it is too late.