Introduction to Minorities in India:
Minorities are factions that are religion-related, ethnically related, or culturally related. These are generally the minority within a larger population and generally do not possess the governance or the material resources of a country. Minorities can be religion-related, such as Muslims and Christians in India, or linguistically or ethnically identified. Whatever the distinctions, minorities take on certain challenges to continue claims to their identities and their rights in socio-political systems controlled by majority groupings or views.
The importance of the theme: Minority issues in India, especially issues of discrimination, violence, and violation against minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians, are a highly sensitive topic due to the rise of extreme nationalist movements and the effect of Hindu nationalism. As a result, there has been an increase in actions of discrimination, violence, and violations against minorities. As the situation continues to change and the status of minorities in India continues to deteriorate, it is important that we study, or analyze issues of minorities in India to provide a better understanding of the struggle for maintaining unity and pluralism in Indian society.
Who are the most prominent minorities in India:
In 2011, Muslims represented around 14.2% of the total Indian population which was around 172 million. The most recent statistics for the year 2024 reported that the number of Muslims in India was 204.7 million. This makes India the third largest Muslim country in the world, behind Indonesia and Pakistan. This data is verified, official, and reliable data from the Indian Government and credible sources such as Wikipedia. If you plan to incorporate this information into your article, you can refer to these statistics to find useful when making points about the percentage of Muslims in India.
According to the 2011 census, Christians constitute a very small percentage of India's population (2.3%). However, as we mentioned earlier, Christians have a significant history in India where their origin is ancient, and have made the most incursion into the southern states, including Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Christians, as one of the cultural and religious minorities in India, have played a role in each of the sectors mentioned above - education, health, and social services.
- Sikhs: Sikh communities in India comprise about 1.7% of the population. Sikhs are primarily located in the state of Punjab. They have a long history of advocating for their rights in India, the Sikh community in India fought not only for their rights but also played a critical role in shaping modern India.
- Buddhists: Buddhists are generally considered a minority, making up less than 1% of the population, but they have a substantial footprint in Maharashtra and some eastern states (especially West Bengal). Buddhism is one of the major religions founded and developed in India, dating back to the influence of Gautama Buddha.
- Jews: A very small minority community in India, but there is a notable history of Jewry in Indian cities such as Mumbai and Coxen, where Jews established communities centuries ago. While limited in numbers, they hold an esteem in Indian society that widely exceeds their population percentage.
In India, Muslims are primarily concentrated in several heavily populated Muslim states. The most populated and state-based are:
- Uttar Pradesh - It is one of the largest states in terms of number of Muslims.
- Bihar - It is very populated with large Muslim communities.
- Kerala - It is situated in southern India and is one of the countries with a high percentage of Muslims.
- West Bengal- It is another very populated state with large quantities of Muslims.
Political and legal challenges:
Poor representation - Many minorities are not represented adequately in both parliament and in governmental jobs. As in the example of the state of Nahdia, Uttarakhand, Equates the Khansin through inheritance, to the Indian state of Tarkhan, which equates the access of the sexes both under inheritance, prohibits polygamy, and establishes the age of marriage to purposely open the door to discussing India’s largest religious minority, India’s Muslim population is about 18% of the population, approximately 200 million people and, largest religious minority in a country with a predominately large population of Hindus, is the third largest population of Muslims in the world behind Indonesia and Pakistan. International experts refer to them as a “persecuted minority”, especially since 2019 the escalated violations have been blatant, and decisions like the Uttarakhand amendments deepen these fears, particularly in the few areas with limited Muslims, with laws imposed on them that do not consider their faith.
The legal discrimination that minorities face particularly Muslims, was the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which was passed in 2019, which gives Indian Citizenship to illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan if they're non-Muslims (i.e., Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists or Jines).
The law was the first law in India's modern history to make religion a condition of citizenship, going against the principles of secularism and equality in the Indian Constitution. The law was seen as a direct attack on Muslims since it only excluded them from other migrants. There were mass protests across India and international condemnation of human rights abuses and religious discrimination.
People who are Muslims:
Islamophobia in Islam is a negative development linked to the reinforcement of fear and hatred of Muslims. When considering some of the anchor issues that cause Islamophobia, it is beneficial to view some real-life examples that illustrate this phenomenon in contemporary society. Referring to "The Story of Kerala" and "40 Horin",
The Kerala Story:
The "Kerala Story" has sparked a great deal of controversy in India and beyond as it depicted Muslims in a negative light. The Story talks about Muslim women in Kerala and their recruitment by extremist groups. These stories create a distorted representation of the Muslim population that ultimately will incite and grow instinctive fear and hostility towards them, this type of obscure representation by the media may be the most significant part of the entire issue of Islamophobia when Muslims are represented as potential threats to security.
"40 Horin" establishes notions of "the poplar" (women in paradise) in a radical manner to compound the false perceptions of Islam already lodged in the heads of non-Muslims. Ultimately, the film validates misconceptions of a closed society that fosters religious extremism, with these myths of religion providing backgrounds to the stereotypical association of Muslims, thereby enhancing the escalation of Islamophobia.
Hijab and adhan: prohibitions to wear headscarves in schools or to call to prayers in mosques
In plenty of countries India, France, and Belgium:
In India, for example, an episode that transpired in Karnataka in 2022 where masked in the public school restricted their right to wear headscarves. This erupted into a clash in the Indian and international community where India's local court was forced to rule on the restriction banning headscarves in public schools with its surrounding ecology-imposed restrictions consumed with a riot of students and Muslims objecting that these practical issues had discriminatory intent.
In France, all headscarves in public schools have been prohibited by a 2004 statute. The restriction prohibited any significant appearance of religious symbols in schools which included Islamic headscarves.
Influences: this type of restriction enables additional layers of Islamophobia as the hijab is an intrinsic element of Muslims as a religious identity, punishing those who want to freely express their religion.
Limitations to the call to prayer at mosques:
In a few European countries, like France and the Netherlands, the call to prayer at mosques via loudspeakers has been prohibited or limited in regard to the time of the call to prayer due to noise problems. For example, in Switzerland, there have been discussions of banning the call to prayer via loudspeakers.
In France, some mosques have problems getting permission to use loudspeakers for the call to prayer in metropolitan areas, and a few areas have restrictions on the loudspeakers for the call to prayer on noise or public convenience grounds.
Economic and educational issues:
First: Poverty and Unemployment: India’s religious minorities, led by Muslims, experience a higher level of poverty and unemployment than the Hindu majority. Official reports such as the Sachar Committee Report 2006, indicate that Muslims in Indian society are the poorest, and a significant number of them live below the poverty line. Informal businesses such as handicrafts, local trade, etc., are common amongst Muslims and these informal businesses are often financially precarious. Difficulties accessing government or professional jobs with salary stability heighten their economic vulnerability. Unemployment is a serious issue among Muslim youth due to poor skills and skills training.
Another challenge faced by minorities, particularly Muslims, is poor access to quality education. There are several reasons for this: the absence of high-quality public schools in Muslim-majority areas; high dropout rates among Muslim children, often due to poverty, or even the need to work due to poverty; and the fact that Muslims, who make up around 15% of the population, receive double the scholarships and other educational aid.
Another disadvantage is discrimination in the labor market. India is a democratic country, and its constitution provides equal opportunities to its citizens, but the facts reveal that explicit or implicit discrimination against minorities, especially Muslims prevails in the labor market. Many private companies simply won’t consider applying the minute they see Muslims' names, religious names, or addresses. Some cities will flat-out reject Muslim candidates in trust jobs in real estate or banks or large corporations. Relationships, social networks, and por relationships create a worse context for a Muslim. Representation of Muslims is even low in terms of government jobs; there are states in India where Muslims are a high proportion of the population.
Civil Society Efforts:
Although there is no denying the large number of issues regarding minorities in India, particularly Muslims, there are civil society efforts to mitigate the suffering as well as the rights and freedoms.
Human rights groups: There are several NGOs based in India and abroad that have taken the initiative to monitor human rights violations against minorities. These organizations routinely file cases with the courts, engage in periodic reporting, and encourage the government to improve the circumstances of minority groups. A few examples include PUCL (People's Union for Civil Liberties) and the Human Rights Law Network.
Educational projects: Some organizations have developed educational projects to build community schools in a bankrupt area that would offer free or low-cost education. The goal of these educational projects is to afford minorities, especially Muslims, a better education and employability skills. Educational organizations also offer scholarship packages for minorities through independent associations or endowment foundations.
Conclusion: An Analytical and Humanitarian Perspective:
Looking at minority issues in India, it would be fair to say that the reality of minority groups, and Muslims in particular, presents a considerable challenge to human rights and humanitarian response. While the Constitution of India guarantees equality, the immediate operational and practical realities reflect a system of discrimination and privilege in several areas - education, employment, security, political representation, etc.
Muslims, who number more than 200 million, represent India's largest religious minority, but live in a complicated reality of Islamophobia, dubious laws (such as the Citizenship Act (CAA), economic marginalization, and harassment (for example, proscriptions on headscarves, or adhan in some states). Several of the human rights organizations that were identified (see Table 1) - Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have specified significant violations against them, stressing their situation is as "fragile and persecuted."
Civil society efforts have emerged as, so far, the only hope, through human rights organizations, educational initiatives, and legal support. There are in fact advocates within India calling for inclusive social justice and the reconsideration of public policies that deepen the divides at the essential religious and ethnic levels.
Addressing minority issues should not only be carried out through the promulgation of formal laws, it mandates:
Sincere political will
Fundamental constitutional and legal reform
Cultural evolution that restores the values of pluralism, and tolerance that India has always historically valued.