'Vibrant Democracy': India trashes allegations on declining minority rights, media freedom

The Hague: India has flatly rejected allegations of declining media freedom and erosion of religious and minority rights, asserting that the country is a "vibrant democracy" that guarantees free speech to all.

The remarks were made by Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, in response to questions about reported comments by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten expressing concern over a perceived slide in freedom of expression in India.

George was speaking to the media on Saturday evening in the Dutch capital regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the Netherlands.

"We faced this question basically because of a lack of understanding by the person who asked it. India is a country of 1.4 billion people - the most populous nation in the world," he said, highlighting how India belongs to a civilisation that is five millennia old.

Rebutting the reported allegations, George highlighted India's cultural, religious and linguistic diversity. "Look at India, how beautiful it is. There is no other country in the world where so many religions have originated - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. These religions originated in India and continue to flourish," he said.

He stressed how major world religions found a home in India and continue to thrive. "India is perhaps one of those very few countries where the Jewish population never faced any persecution. This is the beauty of India," he said.

"Christianity came to India immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and continues to flourish in India. Today, more than 30 million Christians are in India. Christianity came to India much before it came to Europe," he said.

George further said, "Islam came to India during the time of Prophet Muhammad himself and flourished in India." The diplomat, citing the recently held assembly elections in the country, said India is a vibrant democracy where peaceful transition of power is a key feature.

George said India achieved economic success without "compromising" on democratic principles. "We did not go for violence to eliminate poverty. We went through the democratic process to eliminate poverty." "We are one-sixth of the total population of the world, but not one-sixth of the problems of the world. This is the beauty of India, which makes us proud. Every minority thrives," he said.

"When we became independent, the minority population was 11 per cent, now it is more than 20 per cent," he said, emphasising that people from all faiths live happily in India.