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Switzerland's worry for Indian minorities gets a response, with an offer for lessons in pluralism
"As the world's largest, most diverse, and vibrant democracy… India remains ready to help Switzerland,” Indian official at UN says
The Indian government has reacted angrily to remarks made by the Switzerland representative at a UN stage on the treatment of minorities. India's representative has said the European country suffers from “racism, systematic discrimination, and xenophobia", and termed its remarks on India as “surprising, shallow, and ill-informed”.
While terming Switzerland “a close friend and partner”, Kshitij Tyagi, counsellor in the Permanent Mission of India, Geneva, spoke on the issue on Tuesday, during a debate at the 60th Session of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations.
The the Swiss delegate had called on the Indian government of PM Narendra Modi to “take effective measures to protect minorities and uphold the rights to the freedom of expression and the freedom of the media".
India's Tyagi responded that since Switzerland holds the presidency of the UN Human Rights Council, it is all the more important for the country to avoid “wasting the council's time with narratives that are blatantly false”.
He said what Switzerland said is not akin to the reality of India.
"As the world's largest, most diverse, and vibrant democracy with a civilisational embrace of pluralism, India remains ready to help Switzerland address these concerns,” Tyagi said.
Minorities in India would generally refer to religious groups such as Muslims, Sikhs and Christians, who form smaller percentages as compared to the numerically much larger Hindu population.
