New Report: India’s Human Rights Crisis Deepens in 2024 - IAMC

New Report: India’s Human Rights Crisis Deepens in 2024

Washington, D.C. (January 29, 2025) – Human rights and religious freedom in India continued to deteriorate throughout 2024, including through the introduction of new discriminatory policies, a spike in hate crimes, cow-related lynchings, hate speeches during India’s general elections, numerous incidents of deadly police brutality, and transnational repression, as documented in an annual report of the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) released today. 

The report illustrates the pervasive and structural nature of violence and discrimination against Indian minorities, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and Kashmiris, by highlighting the most egregious atrocities committed against them throughout the year. However, the harm was not limited to minorities in India; the government’s transnational repression tactics also impacted members of the Indian diaspora living in the United States and Canada.

Both before and after winning a third term in office, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and their Hindu nationalist supporters facilitated violence and discrimination against minorities and vulnerable groups. Most notably, the year was marred with numerous incidents of law enforcement acting at the behest of Hindu nationalist groups or the government itself to unleash violence against minorities. Two major instances of deadly police violence against Muslim protesters occurred in 2024; once in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani in January, resulting in the killing of six individuals, and again in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal in November, leading to the killing of five. In both cases, police opened fire on Muslims, exercising their right to protest.

A number of new discriminatory policies were also introduced at both the state and national levels. These included the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand state, which forces religious minorities to adhere to common law in personal matters such as marriage and divorce; the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to change rules of ownership of Muslim community-owned (waqf) properties, eroding control over historical mosques, dargahs and graveyards; and a number of directives by both police and local governments ordering all food sellers to display their names on their establishments, making Muslim business owners vulnerable to attacks and boycotts. These policies were introduced in the face of a judiciary with declining independence, leaving minorities without legal protections in the face of blatantly discriminatory policies.

The 2024 electoral cycle saw the BJP regularly employing illegal tactics to polarize voters and suppress the opposition. BJP candidates and their affiliates weaponized hate speech during their campaigns and oversaw the arrest of opposition candidates, blatantly violating Indian election laws while facing no accountability. Both in the general election and bypolls, Muslims and other minority voters reported widespread voter suppression, including violence at polling stations, intimidation by law enforcement, and manipulation of voter rolls. 

Throughout the year, Hindu militant mob violence against Muslim individuals, neighborhoods, and places of worship remained pervasive and surged around Hindu festivals. In January, the consecration of the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, which was built on the site of the demolished Babri Mosque, sparked nationwide violence against Muslims. 

The Ram Temple consecration unleashed a new surge of attacks on historic mosques in the form of legal cases seeking to turn Muslim places of worship into temples. Across the country, Hindu supremacists also harassed Muslims by attacking or vandalizing mosques during Hindu religious processes. 

Muslim-owned homes, businesses, and places of worship continued to be targeted in illegal demolition drives, both under the guise of clearing “encroachments” as well as being explicitly retaliatory.  

Press censorship and the collaboration between the government and mainstream media remained a widespread issue. The press’s role in manufacturing and amplifying hate speech was especially visible in the run-up to India’s general elections. Mainstream outlets repeatedly failed to hold Modi to account for his numerous anti-Muslim hate speeches, instead alternating between praising him, discrediting his political opponents, and pitting Hindus against minorities. The government also frequently censored content critical of the government and Hindu supremacy, including social media accounts, posts, documentaries, and articles. Prominent right-wing figures also regularly harassed and led disinformation campaigns against journalists critical of the Modi regime.

Hindu militant groups regularly orchestrated riots in Muslim-majority areas, particularly around Hindu festivals. Mob lynchings continued unabated, often under the guise of cow protection, with victims overwhelmingly from Muslim and Dalit communities. The continued impunity of cow vigilante groups reflected a deeper trend of collaboration between Hindu extremist militias and law enforcement. 

The Indian government continued its transnational repression of the diaspora, including in the United States. In August 2024, a gunman opened fire on three Sikh separatist activists in Sacramento, an attack human rights groups suspect was another Indian government-backed assassination attempt. The Modi government also continued its censorship of social media accounts and websites run by individuals living in the diaspora. 

“Our report illustrates the scale and severity of anti-minority violence that is being perpetuated daily by Hindu supremacists in India,” said IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed. “The takeaway is clear: even with Modi’s marginal loss of power following the 2024 elections, Hindu militant groups remain emboldened, law enforcement remains largely beholden to extremists, and the judiciary remains compromised.”  

“It’s clear that the Modi regime feels a sense of impunity – not only in the way it so ruthlessly enacts violence against its own citizens, but also seeks to silence and repress our communities in the diaspora,” said IAMC President Mohammed Jawad. “It is the United States government’s responsibility to protect its citizens by using the appropriate diplomatic tools – including sanctions – to send a strong message to the Modi regime.”