Hindu extremist group poses a major challenge to Canada’s human rights, report says
A report by the National Council of Canadian Muslims and the World Sikh Organization of Canada has urged the Canadian government to take action against the spread of Hindu extremism through the Canadian arm of India’s most powerful Hindu paramilitary group, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The report, titled “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Network in Canada,” documents the roots of the paramilitary group, which “disseminates hate” and victimizes religious minority groups.
“[The RSS] poses a major challenge to Canadian commitments to human rights, to tolerance and multiculturalism,” said Steven Zhou, a spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Muslims.
The report drew attention to the increasing influence and threat of Hindu extremism closely linked to the ruling Hindu supremacist government in India that promotes discrimination against minority religious groups at home and abroad.
India’s academic freedom declined sharply since Modi became Prime Minister: Report
Since India’s ruling Hindu supremacist Prime Minister Narendra Modi gained power in 2014, India’s academic freedom is sharply declining, said a report by an international group of scholars.
India’s academic freedom index is in the bottom 30 percent among 179 countries.
The report, titled “Academic Freedom Index Update 2023,” identified 22 countries – including India – where it said universities and scholars experience significantly less academic freedom today than they did ten years ago.
“In India, academic freedom started to decline in 2009 with a drop in university autonomy followed by a sharp downturn in all indicators from 2013. Around 2013, all aspects of academic freedom began to decline strongly, reinforced with Narendra Modi’s election as prime minister in 2014,” the report said.
The report further read: “Campus integrity, institutional autonomy, and the freedom of academic and cultural expression declined more strongly over the following years.”
