Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday hit out at the negative Western 'perception' of India on minority rights, stating that such perceptions were being built by people who have not even visited on the ground.
Speaking at Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) on the Indian economy, Sitharaman said the Muslims in India were doing better than they were in Pakistan.
To PIIE president Adam S Posen's query on reports of Muslim minorities in India being subjected to violence, Sitharaman said the Muslim population in India is only growing in numbers.
"India has the second-largest Muslim population in the world, and that population is only growing in numbers. If there is a perception, or if there's in reality, their lives are difficult or made difficult with the support of the state, which is what is implied in most of these write-ups, I would ask, will this happen in India in the sense, will the Muslim population be growing than what it was in 1947?" said the Finance Minister.
She also compared the status of minorities in India to that of Pakistan, stating how the minorities in the latter were declining in numbers. "Minorities in Pakistan are severely charged with minor allegations, leading to punishments like the death penalty. Blasphemy laws, in most cases, are used to fulfil a personal vendetta. Victims are immediately presumed guilty, even without proper investigation and holding the trial under a jury."
"As opposed to, let us say, I take the name of the country and therefore the contrast can be sharper. As opposed to Pakistan, which was formed at the same time India was divided into two - Pakistan. Pakistan declared itself an Islamic country but however said minorities will be protected. Every minority has been dwindling in its number.....decimated in Pakistan. Even some of the Muslim sects have also been decimated," said Sitharaman.
Lashing out at the reports of "victimisation of Muslims in India," she added that the Muslim population in India has risen. "So across the board in India, if violence is happening to make Muslims get affected, itself is a fallacy as a statement. To say it's all the blame of the Government of India, I would want to say then, tell me, between 2014 and today, has the population dwindled? Have the deaths been disproportionately high in any one particular community? So, I would rather invite the people, who write these reports to come to India. I host them. Let them come to India and prove their point."
Burden of 'emerging market'
On perceptions affecting investment in India or capital flows, Sitharaman said the answer lies with those investors who are coming to India.
"I would think the answer for that lies with those investors who are coming to India, and they've been coming. And as somebody who's interested in receiving investments, I would only say, come have a look at what's happening in India, rather than listen to perceptions being built by people who have not even visited on the ground and who produce reports," she added.
However, the Finance Minister agreed that emerging markets like India do carry the burden of "you are the emerging market."
"You have every business to ask us for help, or every business to speak about, every issue on which you need to play a constructive role. But yet the prescriptions are ours. I would want to ask if human that's not to say or not to even imply that I accept the perception that you're referring to."
She said, "It's the resilience of Indian people to take it upon themselves, to take the challenge and come out in their businesses despite tragedies at home, "on the revival of the Indian economy post-pandemic.
(With inputs from ANI)
