India Jails Dissenters While West Calls It a 'Democracy'
The Al Jazeera piece highlights the persecution of Muslim activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam under PM Modi's government, framed as emblematic of institutional bias. They've been held since 2020 on specious terror charges related to the 2020 Delhi riots, without bail, simply for critiquing government policy. This isn't an isolated incident; India's 'anti-terror' laws, like the Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), have become a convenient tool for stifling dissent, disproportionately targeting minorities and critics. (The UAPA boasts a conviction rate of less than 3% in terror cases, yet its utility lies in pre-trial detention, not justice.) While Western leaders fawn over Modi as a strategic partner, signing defense deals and trade agreements (like the proposed EU-India
FTA), they conveniently overlook the accelerating erosion of human rights and democratic norms. How many activists must be jailed for expressing political opinions before the 'world's largest democracy' label becomes a self-parody? Or does 'democracy' just mean 'convenient ally' now?