Washington: India is facing the danger of becoming a Hindu nationalist State, an outgoing Democratic Congressman Andy Levin said on Thursday.
“I have been a vocal advocate for human rights in places like India, which is in danger of becoming a Hindu nationalist State rather than a secular democracy, the world’s largest democracy,” said Levin, who represented the ninth Congressional District from Michigan.
“I am a lover of Hinduism, a lover of Jainism, Buddhism and other religions that were born in India, but we need to protect the rights of all people there. Whether they’re Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Christians, Jains,” he said.
Earlier, on April 20, Levin urged for international attention on the problem during a special Congressional briefing titled “India’s Brutal Persecution of Kashmir,” organised by a number of human rights organisations, including the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC).
“While Kashmir may not be in the nightly news, what’s happening there deserves the world’s attention, and it’s still a prime example of how Prime Minister Modi is taking India in the wrong direction in terms of human rights and democracy,” Levin had alleged.
Levin had voiced concerns about religious freedom in India during another Congressional briefing hosted by IAMC.
“The India of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi today is not the India I fell in love with,” he said.
“Why would I be so critical and so publicly critical of a country that I love? The answer is it is because I love India that I am committed to ending these attacks on its people. It is because I am so passionate in my support for the vibrant democracy I came to know as a young man, that I want to see that democracy flourish for generations to come,” Levin said.
Levin is a representative on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and serves as vice head of the subcommittee on non-proliferation in Central Asia, Asia, and the Pacific.
Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, praised him as a capable lawmaker, an important leader, and a proven champion of working people after he lost the Democratic primary.
“Our House Democratic Caucus is deeply grateful for Congressman Levin’s service, and we will miss his leadership in the House,” Pelosi said.
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