India Netherlands minority rights discussion: India on Friday strongly rejected reported remarks by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten about a decline in media freedom and the erosion of religious and minority rights in India. India, for its part, has defended its democratic credentials, saying it is a “vibrant democracy” which fully guarantees free speech to all its citizens. The diplomatic fallout occurred as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on an official visit to the Netherlands, where both countries were looking to improve their bilateral ties. Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a statement to the media after the reported comments, said European critics lacked an essential “lack of understanding” of India’s civilisational depth, pluralism and democratic institutions.
India Netherlands minority rights discussion: MEA Invokes 5,000 Years of religious pluralism.
To counter allegations that minority rights are under threat, the senior Indian diplomat highlighted India’s five-millennium-old civilizational history, emphasizing its unparalleled cultural, religious, and linguistic diversity. He noted that India is a country of 1.4 billion people and stands as the unique birthplace of four major global religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—all of which continue to flourish. He also cited India’s historical record as a sanctuary for external faiths, stating that Judaism has been present in India for over 2,500 years without ever facing persecution, Christianity arrived immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ well before it reached Europe, and Islam deeply integrated into the nation’s fabric during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad himself. To further back his argument with demographic data, George noted that the minority population in India has risen significantly over the decades, growing from 11 per cent at the time of independence to more than 20 percent today, challenging critics to find any other country where minority populations have grown at such a rate.
High Voter Turnout and Democratic Poverty Alleviation Framed as Core Indian Strengths
The exchange was triggered when a Dutch journalist questioned the absence of a joint press interaction during PM Modi’s trip and raised specific concerns over press freedom and the safety of Muslim and smaller communities. Defending India’s democratic machinery, George pointed to the massive voter turnout in recent regional elections as a testament to public trust, noting that more than 90 percent of the electorate voted in recent polls and framing the peaceful transition of power as a defining hallmark of the nation. He pointed out that India has over 900 million smartphone users exercising their right to communicate, describing the nation’s public square as a “very noisy democracy” that citizens are proud of. He also argued that India’s economic success was achieved through consensus rather than coercion, explaining that the country became a rapidly growing large economy without compromising on its democratic principles, choosing to eliminate poverty through the democratic process rather than violence.
Dutch PM Airs Concerns to Local Press While Maintaining Public Stance on Shared Values
While it remained unclear if PM Jetten raised these concerns directly during the restricted bilateral meetings, Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant reported that Jetten had expressed reservations to journalists at The Hague prior to his meeting with Modi. Jetten was quoted as saying that the Dutch government has concerns regarding developments in India, stating that the issue is not just about press freedom but also about the rights of minorities being under severe pressure, and claiming that such issues are regularly raised with New Delhi. However, in a separate social media post, the Dutch Prime Minister maintained a cooperative tone, stating that both India and the Netherlands attach great importance to democracy, good governance, and a world order based on rules and justice. Despite the underlying diplomatic friction, the broader bilateral visit concluded with both nations elevating their ties to a Strategic Partnership and signing multiple agreements across defence, green hydrogen, and semiconductors, even as a long-running child custody dispute also featured on the diplomatic sidelines.
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