(Birmingham, Perry
Barr) (Lab)
(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent
violence in India and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
The Minister for Asia ()
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will respond to this urgent
question as the Foreign Secretary is in Turkey today.
The British high commission in New Delhi and our extensive
diplomatic network of deputy high commissions across India are
monitoring closely the recent violence in India and developments
around the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019. The events in Delhi
last week were very concerning, and the situation is still tense.
The death of one protester is one too many. We urge restraint
from all parties and trust that the Indian Government will
address the concerns of people of all religions in India. We also
condemn any incidents of violence, persecution or targeting of
people based on religion or belief, wherever it happens in the
world.
India has a proud history of inclusive government and religious
tolerance. Its secular constitution, which guarantees equality
before the law, has been an exemplar of inclusive democracy.
After his re-election, I note that Prime Minister Modi promised
to continue this under the guiding principles of
“together with all, development for all and trust for all”.
These shared strengths and values are central to the governance
of both our countries. It is a central message of our foreign
policy that societies are stronger and safer when we embrace our
diversity rather than fear it.
Related to this, many people have made it clear that they have
concerns about the Government of India recently signing into law
the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which expedites the path to
citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians,
but notably not Muslims or minority sects. The UK Government also
have concerns about the potential impact of the legislation. It
is because of our close relationship with the Government of India
that we are able to discuss difficult issues with them and make
clear our concerns where we have them, including on the rights of
minorities.
Most recently, my ministerial colleague raised these
concerns about the impact of the CAA with a senior member of
India’s Ministry of External Affairs on 25 February. Officials
from the British high commission in New Delhi also raised our
concerns about the potential impact of the CAA and the police
response to the protests with the state government of Uttar
Pradesh on 7 February. Our former high commissioner in New Delhi,
Sir Dominic Asquith, also raised the issue with the Government of
India last month, as did Foreign and Commonwealth Office
officials with the Indian high commission in London.
More broadly, the UK engages with India at all levels, including
union and state governments, and with non-governmental
organisations to build capacity and share expertise to promote
human rights for all. We will continue to follow events closely
and to raise our concerns when we have them.
Mr Mahmood
I find the hon. Gentleman’s words rather facile. We have brought
him to the Dispatch Box. I raised the issue with the Leader of
the House on Thursday, and the Minister is here now. This urgent
question concerns the sickening violence against Muslims that we
have seen in India in recent weeks following the proposals in the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019. The CAA enables undocumented
migrants from neighbouring countries to seek Indian citizenship,
provided that they meet one condition: they are not Muslim. This
is the first such law to have been passed in India since its
independence. Next will come a national register of citizens, and
undocumented Muslim migrants will automatically be excluded, held
in concentration camps and identified for deportation.
Through such laws, Prime Minister Modi is turning a hateful
nationalistic slogan into brutality. He recently said, “Hinduon
ka Hindustan,” which is literally translated as, “India for the
Hindus.” The CAA has generated nationwide protests by Muslims and
secular Hindus, prompting politicians from the ultra-nationalist
Bharatiya Janata party to demand that the sectarian hate mobs hit
back. Recently in Delhi, more than 40 people were killed by mobs
that attacked Muslim homes and families, but the authorities took
no notice. As a result, in recent weeks, dozens of Muslims have
been dragged out of their homes, burned, or beaten to death in
the streets by mobs. Thousands of people have lost their
livelihoods. All the while, the Indian police look on passively,
and Modi cynically counts the benefits of electoral success.
For those who support India and want to see it take its rightful
place as one of the global leaders of the 21st century, with a
place on the United Nations Security Council, it is sickening to
see such a descent into hatred and mob rule. What are the
Government doing to take India off this path and to provide
protection for its Muslim population? Has the Minister raised the
issue with his Indian counterpart, and has he threatened to raise
it at Commonwealth and UN level? If India behaves like a state
with no regard for human rights, the rule of law or freedom of
religion, it must urgently be made to face the consequences of
its behaviour.
Several hon. Members rose—
Mr Speaker
Order. I am expecting to run this urgent question for up to 40
minutes.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
I assure the hon. Gentleman that we deplore what we have seen
over the last few weeks, and we condemn the violence that has
been recorded and broadcast. We have raised, and do raise,
concerns with the Indian Government, especially over matters such
as this. As I said, we have concerns about the impact of the CAA,
and my colleague, Lord Ahmad, has raised them with the Ministry
of External Affairs. We continue that dialogue. As recently as
mid-February, officials from the British high commission raised
our concerns about the impact of the CAA, and particularly about
the police response to those protests with the state government
of Uttar Pradesh. I assure the hon. Gentleman that our dialogue
with the Indian Government is ongoing.
(Harrow East) (Con)
I commend my hon. Friend for his responses so far, particularly
his remark that one protester who is killed is one too many. He
will be aware that it is not just Muslims who have been killed;
Hindus have also been killed as part of the riots. Will he
confirm that there have been 514 arrests following those riots,
and that the police have organised 330 separate meetings with
different communities to bring them together and calm the
situation down? Will he commend that action to restore peace and
tranquillity to Delhi?
My hon. Friend takes a keen interest in these affairs. I would
commend and applaud any action that attempts to take the heat out
of the severe tensions over the CAA that currently exist in parts
of India.
(Stirling) (SNP)
There is a lot of agreement across the House, and I commend the
Minister on his statement, with which I agreed, as far as it
went—we need to be clear that we can go a lot further. The
situation has been, as we have heard, occasioned by a deliberate
Indian Government policy of targeting Muslims with the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act. In the short term, there is a real
role for the UK Government—this was not mentioned in the
statement—to build on the RESIST Government communication
framework, as it is obvious that online disinformation is being
used in India to inflame tensions. I commend the Government
Communication Service and the Cabinet Office on this work. I
think that the UK is in a position to undertake a real assessment
of the online actors, including malign actors—this is aside from
Indian Government policy, which is another issue, and I urge the
Minister to step up efforts on dialogue regarding that—as there
are online efforts that could be made against that sort of
disinformation, as people are at risk of further violence.
The hon. Gentleman makes a sensible and important point. I am
pleased that he welcomes the report. Any measures, whether
attempting to clamp down on online disinformation or those that
my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East ()
raised, are welcome. We are in constant contact on these issues,
and we know how important this is to Members of Parliament and
their constituents, who may have family in the area. I appreciate
the hon. Gentleman’s comments.
(Wealden) (Con)
I welcome my hon. Friend to his new position. Will he confirm
that he will use his high office and every power that he has to
make sure that Members’ concerns are relayed to the Indian
authorities, particularly given that the brutality seems to have
been meted out by those who should enforce the law, as was
recently shown in BBC coverage.
My hon. Friend makes an important point. I alluded to our
concerns about some of the police brutality that was meted out.
We have long regarded protest as a key part of any democratic
society. Democratic Governments must have the power to enforce
law and order when a protest crosses the line into illegality,
but we also encourage all states to ensure that their domestic
laws are enforced in line with all international standards.
(Bolton South East)
(Lab)
In the past five years, Narendra Modi’s BJP Government have
chosen a path of systematic discrimination, whether the
abrogation of article 35A in Kashmir or the citizenship law.
Calling the recent violence “community clashes” seeks to
normalise far more sinister events. India is now controlled by a
Hindutva supremacist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideology, with
strong historic links to the Nazi party. The current Prime
Minister of India was a member of the RSS. What steps is our
Prime Minister taking to call out that discriminatory practice at
the heart of the Indian Government?
The hon. Lady makes a powerful point. We are in constant contact
with the Indian Government. I mentioned in my statement that we
have concerns about the impact of the CAA legislation,
particularly on Muslims, and she is right to raise that. Rest
assured that, through our close relationship with India, we are
able to raise those concerns with that Government, especially in
a live situation.
(Wakefield) (Con)
The United Kingdom can be justifiably proud of being a world
leader in matters relating to freedom of confession. Can the
Minister confirm that Her Majesty’s Government will call for a
thorough investigation of all and any abuses that have been
perpetrated, and use their influence to call for restraint?
My hon. Friend makes a sensible point, and it is because we have
influence with the Indian Government that we are in a good
position to do that. We have close contacts, and we actively
promote—I think we are a world leader in this—matters relating to
freedom of religion and belief. Ministers and senior officials
raise individual cases, and highlight practices and laws, that
discriminate against people on that basis.
(Slough) (Lab)
Incited mob violence in Delhi on the basis of someone’s faith
brings back painful personal memories, as a religious minority,
of the 1984 genocide of Sikhs while I was studying in India. We
must learn from history, not be fooled by those whose insidious
aim is to divide society and are hellbent on killing people and
destroying religious places in the name of religion. What message
has the Minister given to his Indian counterparts that the
persecution of Indian Muslims, many of whom who have protested
peacefully against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, is utterly
intolerable; that the police cannot stand idly by or, worse
still, be complicit, as is alleged by many victims and social
activists; and that the perpetrators must feel the full force of
the law?
The hon. Gentleman speaks very powerfully from personal
experience. It is absolutely essential that we speak up when we
believe that abuses have taken place. When protest crosses the
line into illegality, as I mentioned, the Government need to act
within all domestic and international laws to make sure that
those laws are enforced. He is absolutely right to raise these
issues, and we are constantly talking at ministerial and official
levels with the Government of India about our concerns,
particularly regarding the CAA.
(Dudley North) (Con)
I am speaking on behalf of a great number of constituents who
have presented me with very grave concerns about what is
happening in India. Does my hon. Friend agree that clamping down
on any human rights abuses will always be a central part of UK
foreign policy?
That is absolutely right. We take the lead on this issue around
the world and we are well regarded. This is a core part of our
foreign policy, and my hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise
that in the House on behalf of his constituents.
(Glasgow East) (SNP)
We know that there is a pattern of behaviour and that this is
just the latest example of religious intolerance in India. When
Prime Minister Modi welcomed Donald Trump a couple of weeks ago,
we saw the two of them embracing each other and scrambling to do
a trade agreement. In the scramble for a post-Brexit trade deal,
what reassurances can the Minister give that we will not be doing
the same, and that we will raise these cases at the highest
levels of Government and not ignore human rights when it comes to
doing trade deals?
While trade is vital for our economy and future prosperity, this
in no way compromises the United Kingdom’s commitment to holding
human rights at the core of our foreign policy. I guarantee the
hon. Gentleman that we will not pursue trade to the exclusion of
human rights.
(Henley) (Con)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recently
introduced an intervention plea in the Supreme Court of India
about the CAA; she has been given a brush-off by the Indian
Government. What are we doing to bolster the position of the UN
commissioner?
I am aware of the intervention to which my hon. Friend refers. I
assure him that we raise our concerns privately and regularly
with the Government of India. We will continue to engage with
them on a full range of human rights matters and we raise our
concerns when we have them, particularly at the current time.
(Bedford) (Lab)
As the BBC recently reported, the latest outbreak of violence in
Delhi is very worrying, as there is evidence that the police are
complicit in and, indeed, encouraging violence against Muslims.
What are the Government doing to make sure that they are talking
to their counterparts in Delhi to ensure that Muslim’s lives
there are safe?
The hon. Member raises a very good point. Any allegation of human
rights abuses is deeply disturbing, and the violence that we saw
was incredibly concerning. I assure the House that we have made
it clear that those incidents must be investigated thoroughly,
promptly and transparently.
(Rutland and Melton)
(Con)
The fact that the Indian Government have felt able to pass this
law and some of the responses that we have seen to it are deeply
distressing. Will my hon. Friend not only confirm that he will
continue to raise this at the highest level but make a commitment
that Foreign Office staff will now start planning how we can act
to raise the pressure on this issue before there is any further
escalation, rather than reacting in response to it?
I know that my hon. Friend has great experience of foreign
affairs, having worked in the Department, and she raises a very
good and crucial point. Because we have that close relationship
with India through our officials and at a ministerial level, we
can have that dialogue. She makes a very sensible point about
being pre-emptive rather than reactive.
(Orkney and Shetland) (LD)
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the violence it has
precipitated would be concerning enough if it was a single
isolated act, but we all know that it is not; it comes on the
heels of Modi’s Government’s actions in relation to Kashmir and
the implementation in Assam of a national register of citizens.
It is beginning to look like part of a course of conduct designed
to marginalise the Muslim population in India. India is part of
the Commonwealth. What are we doing through that forum, alongside
the bilateral representations that I trust we are making?
The right hon. Gentleman rightly mentions the NRC in Assam. I
know that there are concerns in that area as well. Through our
network of high commissioners, we continually assess that
situation. I can get back to the right hon. Gentleman in writing
on action through the Commonwealth.
(The Wrekin) (Con)
On the intervention application to the Indian Supreme Court by
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, does the
Minister believe that this is an internal sovereign issue, or
does he believe that it is an international issue, given that
India is a signatory to a plethora of international law
obligations?
We raise these issues directly and have done so privately. I am
aware of what the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights has filed, but the UK Government intend to pursue our
policy of raising issues directly with the Government of India.
(Birmingham, Edgbaston)
(Lab/Co-op)
In October 1984, Delhi witnessed the genocide of Sikhs in their
thousands under Congress rule. What steps is the Minister taking
to ensure that all ethnic and religious minorities in India can
feel safe, secure and free from persecution?
All minorities in India deserve that protection, and I can assure
the hon. Lady that we constantly remind our counterparts at
official and ministerial levels of their responsibilities in that
regard.
(Harborough) (Con)
In my constituency, families of Indian origin have wonderful
relations with each other, whether they are Hindu, Sikh or
Muslim, so it is heartbreaking to see the violence in India. Is
the Minister thinking about how we can use all our policies,
including our aid policies, to encourage equally good
relationships between communities in India itself?
My hon. Friend will be aware that the UK Government have several
projects in India, though we do not provide funding directly to
the Government of India. I know that this can be helpful and that
our intervention is appreciated in many areas.
(East Ham) (Lab)
I echo the Minister’s tribute to the constitution of India. Since
it was drafted under the leadership of Dr B. R. Ambedkar after
independence, it has been admired around the world for its
commitment to equality irrespective of religion. Does he share my
sadness that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is such a decisive
move away from that principle because, as he has explained, for
some it makes citizenship dependent on their religion?
I do share the right hon. Gentleman’s concerns. The UK Government
have broad concerns about the Act, which is why we are engaging
directly with the Government. He is right to raise this matter
because it is a huge concern.
(Gloucester) (Con)
Those of us with significant Indian Muslim communities will have
seen videos showing shocking orchestrated sectarian violence. Can
I encourage the Minister to invite the Indian high commissioner
to his office to share with him the deep concern of many of our
constituents about their families and friends in India? If there
is one silver lining in this very dark cloud it is what one
Gujarati Muslim said to me, which is that he and his family now
value more than ever the pluralism and safety across faiths that
this country provides.
My hon. Friend speaks with great knowledge and passion on all
these matters and is right to raise this issue. I will speak to
my ministerial colleague, , who I know has a
close relationship with the high commissioner. I am sure that
this matter has been raised, but on behalf of my hon. Friend and
his constituents, I will ensure that Lord Ahmad has a meeting
with the high commissioner shortly.
(Glasgow Central)
(SNP)
Many of my constituents have raised concerns about the ongoing
situation in India and Jammu and Kashmir. There is something the
Minister could do to be of assistance. There will be many people
within the UK Visas and Immigration system awaiting a decision,
including people who have been through religious persecution
already. What advice would he give to his colleagues in the Home
Office on how those cases should be dealt with and will he ensure
that the advice on India and Jammu and Kashmir is updated to
reflect the ongoing situation?
We regularly update our advice on Kashmir via the FCO website and
we encourage people to take close notice of that. I am sure that
my colleagues in the Home Office will have noted the hon. Lady’s
question and will make sure she gets a follow-up.
(Cheadle) (Con)
Our close relationship with India will ensure that our concerns
on this matter are heard. What representations have the
Government made to the Government of India to ensure that they,
their states and their agents always act in compliance with
international law?
My hon. Friend raises a good point. It is because we have a close
relationship with India that we can raise our concerns at all
levels with the Government of India. Most recently, just over a
week ago, raised our concerns
about the CAA directly with India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
(Coventry South)
(Lab)
In August 2019, the Indian Government stripped Muslim-majority
Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomous status. In December, it
passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which provides a path to
citizenship for all migrant minorities except Muslims and creates
a national register of citizens, forcing Indians to provide
documents to prove their citizenship, which many poorer Indians
do not have and many Muslims will not be able to get. Does the
Minister accept that the recent violence in Delhi, which has been
whipped up by BJP politicians and has led to dozens of deaths, is
just the latest targeted assault on Muslims by the Modi
Government?
The UK Government have deep concerns about the escalation that
the hon. Lady refers to. She mentioned the NRC, which is
currently enacted in the state of Assam. We have not received any
confirmation from the Government of India that it will be
expanded India-wide, but she is right to raise concerns, because
millions of people could be affected and will be very concerned
about this policy.
(Ynys Môn) (Con)
Does my hon. Friend agree that the UK leads the way on the global
stage on freedom of religion and belief?
I do indeed. We actively promote the importance of freedom of
religion and belief and we combat discrimination on the basis of
religious identity through our diplomatic activity and through
the UN and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe.
(Nottingham North) (Lab/Co-op)
Recently, delegates from Nottingham’s Indian diaspora came to see
me and challenged me—quite legitimately—over our special
connection and relationship with India, which they said gave us a
responsibility to speak out against what we have seen in Kashmir
and with the CAA. The Minister has talked about the contact
between our Government and the Government of India, but he has
not said what impact that has had. He has detailed his strategy.
What evidence does he have that it is working?
As I have said numerous times, we are constantly making
representations where we believe there are human rights abuses.
On Kashmir, as is well known, our position is that it is for
India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution while
taking into account the wishes of Kashmiri people. The Indian
Government take notice of what the UK Government say, and that
dialogue will continue.
(Stoke-on-Trent South)
(Con)
The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is of particular concern to my
constituents, many of whom have family and friends in the region.
This is obviously a complex issue, but will my hon. Friend agree
to put more pressure on the Indian and Pakistani Governments to
take action to find a resolution that results in peace in Jammu
and Kashmir?
Indeed. My ministerial colleagues talk to their colleagues in not
just the Indian but the Pakistani Government. I can assure my
hon. Friend and his constituents that that dialogue continues,
and that we consistently press for channels of dialogue to remain
open. We believe that it is for India and Pakistan to find a
lasting political resolution, and we want to encourage the pace
and scope of their dialogue.
(Nottingham East)
(Lab)
Will the Minister join me in rejecting the language of riots,
clashes, protest and communal violence? This is, in fact, a
continuation of sustained and systemic Hindutva violence waged on
the Muslim and many minority ethnic communities in India that is
sanctioned by Modi’s BJP Government.
The UK Government have long regarded protest as a legitimate
means of raising issues and as part of democratic society, but
any allegations of human rights abuse are very concerning, and we
believe that they should be investigated thoroughly, promptly and
transparently.
(Rutherglen and Hamilton
West) (SNP)
Can the Minister share with us the reason why the Indian
Government have excluded Muslims from the Citizenship (Amendment)
Act? Does he agree that legislation should never discriminate on
the basis of faith?
I can assure the hon. Lady that such legislation does give us
cause for concern, especially for the Muslim community, and we
make those points very clearly when we meet our counterparts.
