– Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: Freedom House has again rated India as a “partly free” country, stating that democracy is “losing ground.” The report highlights government interference in judicial appointments. In 2014, the Modi government attempted to replace the Collegium system with a panel including government representatives. Though the Supreme Court struck it down in 2015, the government has since delayed appointments, increasing judicial vacancies.
The report notes that while India is a multiparty democracy, Modi’s BJP government has pushed discriminatory policies and persecuted Muslims. Civil liberties are under threat, with increased harassment of journalists, NGOs, and critics. The BJP has used institutions to target political rivals. Muslims, Dalits, and Adivasis remain marginalized.
Key events in 2023 include the ban on the BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and ethnic violence in Manipur. The report notes that marginalized communities face barriers to political representation. In 2019, Muslims won only 5% of Lok Sabha seats, despite making up 14.2% of the population. By 2023, no BJP national legislator identified as Muslim.
The report criticizes the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and notes the uncertain citizenship status of 1.9 million people in Assam, mostly Muslims. It also condemns increasing raids on independent media, such as BBC and NewsClick.
Attacks on Muslims and Christians continue, fueled by Hindu nationalist groups. Cow-related violence persisted in 2023, with the BJP failing to act. Several states criminalized religious conversions under vague laws. Communal riots occurred, often triggered by provocative Hindu processions, including during Ram Navami in April 2023.
Judicial corruption and politicization have increased. The courts have favored BJP in key rulings, such as allowing the Ram temple construction on the Babri Masjid site in 2019, denying bail to a Modi critic in 2020, and upholding the 2019 revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Muslim homes were bulldozed as punishment in Haryana in August 2023. The Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed demolitions, questioning if they amounted to “ethnic cleansing.” By August 10, 1,200 structures had been demolished.
Freedom in the World is an annual report on political rights and civil liberties covering 195 countries and 13 territories. The 2025 edition assesses events from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
