China has reportedly expressed its reservations about the rise of Hindu nationalism and BJP’s relentless efforts to exclude Muslims from mainstream politics. Diplomatic sources in Islamabad confirmed to GVS that China has warned India of ‘greater’ implications of Hindu nationalism which “may not be welcomed”.
India’s prestigious newspaper, The Hindu, reported that Chinese officials believe that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is likely to have repercussions in China’s troubled province, Xinjiang. The report notes that a Chinese official who did not wish to be named told The Hindu that Beijing apprehends that the law if it alienates Muslims in India, could have repercussions in Xinjiang—a vast strategically important border region, which has faced separatist violence.
"China fears CAA could have repercussions in Xinjiang"
– more lol from "The Hindu" (Chinese Govt Indian mouthpiece). https://t.co/4Bt2Vmzn2Y
— V (@AgentSaffron) January 13, 2020
“We fear that if possible Muslim alienation triggered by India’s new Act spreads, it could channel into international terrorism and eventually bolster separatism in Xinjiang,” the official said.
China follows a uni-dimensional definition of being Chinese. “China views Xinjiang as central to the “one-China” policy, which also rejects efforts that encourage “separatism” in Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong and islands in the South China Sea. Given Xinjiang’s extraordinary importance, China firmly rejects any moves to weaken the one-China principle on the grounds of human rights,” the official said.
In response to the CAA, a section of the Chinese state media has asserted that the new law mirrors India’s evolving geostrategic posture, in its South Asian neighborhood, the Indian Ocean and beyond, fueled by what is called, the rise “Hindu nationalism”.
Read more: Jinnah was Right & Gandhi was Wrong: Indian politician blasts over CAA
An article in the state-run tabloid Global Times noted that “broadly speaking” the CAA “reflects the conflict between liberalism and nationalism. In India, the world’s largest democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a path of nationalism. He tries to achieve a unified national recognition via the idea of having one country, one nation, one religion, and one language and eradicate diversification and fragmentation in India’s society and culture”.
It added that the “rise of Hindu nationalism has broader implications for international politics…Hindu nationalism will not be satisfied to be only the dominant force within India. It will push the country to pursue higher international status – from permanent membership in the UN Security Council to dominance in the Indian Ocean and South Asia and eventually a major world power – to satisfy the need for victory and reputation”.
‘CAA is anti-Muslim’
India’s capital, New Delhi, also witnessed massive demonstrations against the law. The protesters are also demanding an investigation into Sunday’s violence in the federally run Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) University, where police barged into the campus, beat up students and allegedly vandalized university property.
Read more: DG ISPR strikes India with Twitter trend: ‘Beginning of the End’
Soon after the Friday afternoon prayers, thousands of protesters rallied from the historic Jamia Masjid in Old Delhi to the nearby Delhi Gate carrying national flags and placards and shouting anti-CAA and anti-government slogans. “We will fight this anti-Muslim law tooth and nail. We will rather die but will not back down this time. This government has to revoke its decision at any cost,” a protester told media.
India's LGBTQ community joins protests against 'anti-Muslim' citizenship law https://t.co/HPom7ODs9z #CAA_NRC_Protest pic.twitter.com/igom2PKZIJ
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 3, 2020
Hundreds of police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel were deployed at Delhi Gate to stop the demonstrators from proceeding further, while several metro stations were shut down.
Initially, peacefully, the protest turned violent with protesters setting a vehicle on fire and police using water cannon to disperse them “CAA is anti-Muslim and it has to go,” said Feroz Khan, a protester. “Our protests will continue ’til the act is not struck down.”
The rise of Hindutva Regime in India
There is a widely held perception that India is on its way to becoming a ‘no man’s land’ for the Muslims. The mob justice, public humiliation of young Muslim men and the recent decision of the Indian Supreme Court reflect India’s sociopolitical transformation from a secular state to an anti-Muslim regime.
Anti Muslim,Communal & Hateful Slogans were raised during Pro CAA rally in Gulbarga led by BJP MP Umesh jadhav.
The Real Anti nationals who are disturbing the communal harmony of India.
We Request @KlbDistPolice to take strict action against them. pic.twitter.com/bTkxRFdz2l— Mohammed Habeeb Ur Rehman (@Habeebinamdar) January 12, 2020
Debarati Guha, head of DW’s Asia Service, opines that “this unconstitutional act also violates and shreds the provisions in the Indian constitution that guarantee citizens’ right to equality, equality before the law and non-discriminatory treatment by the Indian state”.
Read more: CAB: An Indian bill that even Indians think is “Discriminatory”
While highlighting the transformation process of India from a secular state to a Hindutva dominated regime, Debarati Guha points that “even the Supreme Court of India recently awarded a disputed site in the town of Ayodhya to a government-run trust for the construction of a temple to the Hindu god Ram.
The disputed land was the site of the 16th-century Babri Masjid mosque, which was razed by angry Hindu mobs in 1992 claiming that a Ram temple predated the mosque. With its verdict, the top court granted the land to the “big brother” and told the bullied “little brother” to play somewhere else”.
It is yet to be seen how will Modi’s regime deal with the protesters ultimately?