The Hill Discovers India Has Laws, Omits US Role in Fostering Extremism
When The Hill publishes a piece on the 'cost' of India’s anti-conversion laws, one might expect a deep dive into the erosion of civil liberties, or perhaps the alarming rise of Hindu nationalism. Instead, we get a carefully constructed alarm bell, politely ringing about religious freedom. What’s conspicuously absent is any mention of how the US, eager for an Indo-Pacific counterweight to China,
has all but ignored the Modi government's escalating authoritarianism and treatment of minorities. One might wonder if 'religious freedom' is only a concern when it’s politically convenient, or if America’s own foreign policy isn't, in part, underwriting the very extremism it occasionally wrings its hands over. This isn't just about India; it's a pattern. The cost of 'anti-conversion laws' or any
human rights abuses becomes a problem only when the ally in question missteps significantly enough to embarrass Washington, or when the geopolitical benefits become too obscured by the ethical costs. The Hill’s measured tone, according to the opinion piece from August 2021, glosses over the historical context of growing Hindu nationalist violence and state complicity.