India's Vibrant Democracy and Historical Tolerance
India flatly rejected the claims about declining media freedom and the erosion of minority rights. They insisted it remains a "vibrant democracy," a space where all religions can exist.
This came from Sibi George, the Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs. He made these remarks while Prime Minister Modi was wrapping up the Netherlands leg of his tour. Modi had just struck deals and elevated ties to a Strategic Partnership.
Dutch PM Rob Jetten had raised concerns about minority treatment. George responded directly to those worries. He said the questions themselves often stem from a fundamental lack of understanding about the person asking them.
"We face these kinds of questions basically because of the lack of understanding of the person who asks the question," George put it.
He started talking about the sheer scale of India. 1.4 billion people . The largest country in the world. A civilization that’s been around for more than five thousand years. It’s just incredibly diverse.
George then pivoted to the cultural fabric. He highlighted the religious and linguistic mix. There’s no other place where Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism all originated.
"India has all the major religions in the world came to India," he noted. He added something about the Jewish religion. It was in India for over two and a half thousand years. It just coexisted. He stressed that India is one of those very few places where the Jewish population never faced persecution. That, he said, is the beauty of India.
Then he brought in the other faiths. Christianity arrived way before Europe. It had a massive community, thirty million strong in the country. Islam came during the time of Prophet Muhammad. It flourished here.
He made a broader point about historical tolerance. "Every religion. Whenever any part of the world there was persecution in the past, they all came to India and thrived in India," he stated.
The diplomat also touched on civil liberties. He affirmed that citizens have freedom of expression and freedom of the press. That’s why India is called a "noisy democracy." He pointed to the massive turnout in the recent election as proof of that democratic standing.
"This is the beauty of India. It’s a vibrant democracy," he insisted. He paused there for a moment. "We need more understanding for people."
He shifted gears to the transformation narrative. There was reform in India. India transformed. India performed. But he immediately added a caveat. It’s important to inform people about the process.
Then came the statistics. He brought up the population dynamics. "We are one-sixth of the total world population. But we are not one-sixth of the world's problems." That seemed to land with some weight.
"This is the beauty of India, which makes us proud."
He looked at the minority growth. The minority population went from 11% when India became independent to over 20% now. He made it a stark observation. Name a country where the minority population has ballooned like this? You won't find it anywhere else. It’s part of this beauty.
Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board
Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.
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