External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking at an event in Washington DC, addressed concerns regarding discrimination against minorities in India. When questioned about the Modi government’s stance on religious minority rights, Jaishankar argued that equal access to benefits and services serves as evidence that the government is committed to addressing these concerns.
Jaishankar responded to a question from Walter Russell Mead, an academic and columnist for The Wall Street Journal. He asserted that the true gauge of fair and effective governance or societal balance is the absence of discrimination. This discrimination can manifest in various forms, including disparities in amenities, benefits, access, and rights. He noted that in every society worldwide, there has been some form of discrimination at some point.
Jaishankar went on to highlight the significant changes occurring in India. He particularly focused on the establishment of a social welfare system in a country with a per capita income of less than $3,000.
What more did Jaishankar say about minority rights?
Furthermore, he stressed that the Modi government has been attentive to the concerns of the Sikh community. He noted that extremist elements represent only a small minority within the community and nobody should see them as representative of the entire Sikh population.
Jaishankar made it clear that the Modi government had received widespread acknowledgment for its dedicated focus on addressing the concerns of the Sikh community over the past decade. Additionally, he noted that the government had actively put forward suggestions to address these issues.
He expressed his belief that the ongoing discussions did not encompass the issues that truly represented the entire Sikh community. He emphasized that those individuals discussing terrorism and advocating separatism, including violence, constituted a small minority. And, he suggested that the respective governments should take impartial actions in response.