Monthly overview of India News August 2023: Updates on Manipur, no-confidence vote against Modi, six killed in Haryana, extrajudicial demolitions, ...

In this email, we compile news updates from India from August 2023. The list is not exhaustive, but a selection of pertinent incidents – both hopeful and worrisome. Did you miss previous updates? You can see the archives here.

India in the world

• On August 2, European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli arrived in Gujarat state for the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment 2023, where she gave a statement on education and STEM.?
• In a new report on "future shocks ", the European Parliament Research Service notes "recent democratic failure or erosion in countries such as [...] India", and warns that this poses a risk that "extremist and anti-democratic political forces could instrumentalise economic malaise to gain power either through elections or through violent insurgency".
• On August 15, India celebrated its 77th Independence Day. Indian diaspora in London gathered to protest against the ongoing violence in Manipur and Haryana, and were joined by British MPs .
• On August 25, Prime Minister Modi visited Greece as the first Indian PM to do so in 40 years. Greek news reported that Modi expressed India’s interest in gaining access to ports in Greece.
• On August 26, European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis told ANI news agency that the EU is not setting any “specific deadline” for the conclusion of free trade negotiations with India. The signing of the free trade agreement between India and Europe might take a while, as he noted that its “substance” matters more than a deadline and further discussion is needed.
• A new article by the Financial Times investigates potential front men used by the Adani Group to bypass rules for Indian companies that prevent share price manipulation. This follows an investigation by the short seller Hindenburg, which accused the Adani Group of running the “largest con in corporate history ”.

Communal Violence and Riots

Violence in Manipur

• On August 1, the Supreme Court said that the state machinery in Manipur has “completely failed” and there is no law and order left in the violence-hit state.
• Prime Minister Modi’s government fails to respond to the conflict. On August 6, over 110 former civil servants urged the Central government to impose President’s rule in Manipur . On August 2, a newly founded opposition party alliance met the Indian President Murmu and urged for her “intervention ” in establishing peace in Manipur.
• On August 7, the Manipur police suspended five officers, who were reportedly involved in the May 4 incident in which three Kuki women were paraded naked by a mob. The video sheds light on systematic gang rapes in India , and further evidence of targeted sexualised violence has emerged.?
• Solutions remain distant. The government’s response continues to violate human rights, and trust between communities is non-existent.?Mobile internet remains shut off in Manipur, in violation of human rights law, despite an urgent need for accurate information.The state government of Manipur has asked its governor to convene a special session on the armed conflict on August 21, but Kuki members of the legislative assembly declared they would not attend such a session.
• Armed violence by civilians continues to escalate.?On August 3, a mob of approximately 500 people looted police armoury and weapons. According to The Hindu , about 4,000 weapons have already been looted, of which only 1,600 weapons have been recovered.?On August 5, five more persons were killed , and the death toll rose to at least 187.?On August 18, three more people were killed .More than 150 people have lost their lives in the violence and tens of thousands have been displaced.

Violence in Haryana

• On Monday, July 31, communal violence erupted in the Nuh district of Haryana during a procession by the Hindu supremacist groups Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. The conflict killed at least six people and injured over 50. Prior to the procession, known cow vigilante Monu Manesar , who is absconding from the police in a murder case, called on people to participate in the procession. Unidentified police officials told the Hindustan Times and News18 that Manesar’s call might have incited the violence. The participants were armed , raising questions why the procession received permission. As violence erupted, the Home Minister of the state falsely claimed that “Muslim rioters ” had taken Hindus hostage, further escalating the violence. A 19-year-old deputy Imam of the mosque in Gurugram was stabbed 13 times and killed by a Hindu supremacist mob. Hindu supremacists set numerous mosques on fire and destroyed numerous shops. Violence continued until at least August 7, and spread to Gurugram, a business hub in India home to international companies. Migrant workers and Rohingya refugees have been left homeless and displaced , and are fleeing Haryana.?
• Twenty companies of central forces were deployed in Haryana. A total of 18 cases have been registered in Gurugram and at least 116 have been arrested:On August 15, police arrested militant Hindu supremacist Raj Kumar, alias Bittu Bajrangi, in connection with the Haryana communal violence. Bajrangi is the head of a cow vigilante group active in Faridabad, Haryana. The charges against him include assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, voluntarily causing harm to deter a public worker from doing his duties, rioting, and Section 25 of the Arms Act.
• Local Hindu supremacist groups threatened local Muslims:On August 1, a group of men went around the locality threatening the Muslims to leave, and thousands of residents fled their homes .?On August 6, Hindu supremacist group “Hindu Samaj” organised a “religious congregation ” despite a blanket ban on public gatherings. At the event, participants called for a social and economic boycott of Muslims.?On August 13, another “religious congregation ” framed nine demands , which include that the district should become “cow slaughter-free” and that “the government should provide arms [...] for self-defence” to locals.
• Following the violence, the government responded with further human rights violations:The district administration suspended internet services until August 11.?On August 3, the Haryana government demolished the shanties of more than 250 Muslim migrant workers, who had fled the violence. Additional demolitions continued for the following days, and residents alleged they were not given any prior notice. On August 5, over 45 shops in the riot-affected area were demolished for being allegedly constructed “illegally”. Over five days, over 1200 buildings, overwhelmingly owned by Muslims, were reportedly demolished. On August 7, the Punjab and Haryana High Court took suo moto cognisance of the demolitions and ordered them to stop. In its order, the High Court asked whether the demolitions were “an exercise of ethnic cleansing ”. The case was then passed on to another bench, in violation of procedure, which requires it to be passed on to the Chief Justice.

• In early August following the violence, over 50 village councils in the state released identical letters demanding that Muslims living in the villages submit their identity documents to the police, and barring the entry of Muslim traders.
• On August 17, Delhi police detained more than 50 people for protesting against the Haryana violence in New Delhi.

Human Rights Defenders and civil society

• On August 1, the Indian government suspended the passports of several Kashmiris, including journalists, arguing the affected parties “were a threat to Indian security ” despite no reported charges against them. Recently, officials suspended the passports of two Kashmir-based journalists and one local politician and activist.
• On August 1, tweets by journalist Rana Ayyub, fact-checker Mohammed Zubair, and politician Asaduddin Owaisi on a reported hate crime were removed from Twitter , following a demand from the Indian government. They referred to an incident on July 31, when an Indian railway security constable shot and killed a colleague and three passengers on a train. In a verified video , he says: “If you want to live and vote in Hindustan [India], I am telling you, it’s only Modi and Yogi,” thereby suggesting the attack has a political motive.
• On August 1, the National Investigation Agency raided multiple locations in Kashmir, including the residence of human rights lawyer Parvez Imroz, in an NGO-funding case registered in the year 2020.
• On August 9, the Supreme Court adjourned the bail hearing of human rights defender Umar Khalid, after a judge recused himself from the case. Khalid has been detained without a trial since 2020, when he was arrested under India’s anti-terror law UAPA and sedition laws for his participation in protests against India’s discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act. Khalid’s bail petitions have been repeatedly denied.
• On August 14, the Supreme Court gave Professor Kham Khan Suan Hausing, professor at Hyderabad University, protection from coercive action. Professor Hausing is facing criminal proceedings for giving an interview on the ongoing armed violence in Manipur.
• On August 15, an assistant professor at Ashoka University resigned from his post weeks after he published the research paper “Democratic Backsliding in the World’s Largest Democracy ”, which explores the possibility of electoral manipulation in favour of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The University had publicly distanced itself from the paper. On August 22, the Intelligence Bureau visited the university campus to speak with the former professor about the paper.
• On August 21, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor and UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Gerard Quinn called on India to end the inhumane detention of human rights defender GN Saibaba. Saibaba, who suffers from a spinal disorder, has been in pre-trial detention since 2014 .
• On August 27, Kashmiri journalist Aasif Sultan marked five years of being arbitrarily imprisoned. Sultan is accused of “complicity” in “harbouring known terrorists” under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, India’s counter-terrorism law that reverses the burden of proof. In 2019, Sultan was given the John Aubuchon Press Freedom award .
• On August 28, police arrested tribal rights activist Nitin Varghese , who is with Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan , a group campaigning for Forest Rights. Police charged Varghese with criminal conspiracy and inciting to violence.?
• On August 29, the house of Muslim woman journalist Khushboo Akhtar burnt down. Akhtar supposes that the house caught fire as an attack against her work as a journalist.

Hate crimes against minorities

• On August 3, police arrested three persons , including a member of the Hindu supremacist Bajrang Dal, for assaulting Dalit (“untouchable”) villagers in Madhya Pradesh state.?
• On August 15, a video circulated on social media showing a Hindu supremacist mob beating a Muslim man at a train station, condemning him for going out with a Hindu woman. The mob then shouted “Jai Shri Ram ” (Hail Hindu God Rama). The incident reportedly took place in July.
• On August 12, Hindu supremacists lynched a Muslim man with mental health conditions in North-Eastern Assam state on alleged suspicion of cow theft. Police have arrested six persons. On August 17, two more people were lynched in separate incidents in North-Eastern Assam state, allegedly for theft.
• On August 17, Hindu supremacists reportedly threatened and attacked a Muslim food vendor in Himachal Pradesh state. The attack took place following a Facebook post of the week before, in which a Hindu supremacist called on others to boycott Muslim-owned businesses.
• On August 18, a middle-aged Muslim couple was reportedly beaten to death in Uttar Pradesh, supposedly in retaliation for the fact that their son had eloped with a Hindu woman a few years before. According to The Indian Express , the woman’s family members are suspected to have carried out the attack.
• On August 19, a group of Hindu supremacists reportedly beat to death a 27-year-old Muslim man and two others, allegedly for illegally chopping wood in a forest in Rajasthan state.
• On August 20, members of the Hindu supremacist group Bajrang Dal attacked Christians who were praying inside a church in New Delhi . They carried speakers blaring the slogan “We will make a Hindu nation.”
• On August 25, six persons in Maharashtra state reportedly attacked a Dalit (“untouchable”) man, tied him upside down, urinated on him and forced him to lick their shoes. The incident was recorded on video , and police arrested one accused.

Children’s rights

• On August 2, the body of a 14-year-old was found in Bhilwara, Rajasthan state, near a furnace where she had allegedly been set on fire, after reportedly being gang-raped by a group of men. Seven persons have reportedly been arrested.
• On August 4, a group of men reportedly forced two boys, ages 10 and 15, in Uttar Pradesh state to drink urine on suspicion they had stolen money. The men reportedly also thrust chillies into the boys’ anus. Six men were arrested after videos of the incident circulated online.
• On August 6, a video of the gang rape of two minor Muslim girls , aged 14 and 16, was circulated on social media. The incident itself reportedly took place in July.
• On August 25, a 14-year-old boy and three adult members of his family in Uttar Pradesh state reportedly killed their 15-year-old sister and daughter, allegedly because she had spoken to a Dalit (“untouchable”) boy over the phone.
• On August 24, a teacher forced children to beat their 8-year old Muslim classmate in Uttar Pradesh state. The incident was captured on video, which shows the teacher insulting the boy for being Muslim and scolding the children for not beating him hard enough.
• On August 26, police registered a case against two teachers in Rajasthan state, after a tenth-grade Dalit (“untouchable”) student committed suicide following reported caste discrimination and abuse.
• On August 27, a group reportedly beat to death a Dalit (“untouchable”) teenager over a sexual harassment case filed by his sister in 2019 in Madhya Pradesh state. His sister and mother were also beaten and stripped , and allege the attackers wanted them to withdraw the case.

Religious freedoms

• On August 1, a video circulated showing Hindu supremacists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal taking an oath to turn India into a “Hindu nation”. Hundreds of sharp-edged tridents were reportedly distributed among Hindu men .
• On August 15, India celebrated its 77th Independence Day. Meanwhile, several video clips surfaced on social media unambiguously showing hate speech against the Muslim community during the celebrations. For example, in Jammu, participants in an Independence Day rally shouted slogans calling for violence against Muslims, such as, translated from Hindi, “When Muslims are chopped, they will cry Ram Ram”.
• On August 17, members of Hindu supremacist groups including Bajrang Dal held a rally , giving an ultimatum that local Hindus vacate shops and homes rented by Muslims within two days or face consequences, in Haryana.
• On August 27, a group of Hindu supremacists reportedly attacked two Muslim households and vandalised Muslim fruit vendors’ carts in the presence of law enforcement and media.
• On August 28, members of the Hindu supremacist group Sri Ram Sena (“God Ram’s army”) reportedly attacked two Muslim cattle traders in Karnataka state. They were admitted to hospital for treatment.

Actions by state actors

• On August 5, Kapil Mishra was appointed Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Delhi unit. Mishra, according to the Delhi Minorities Commission , in February 2020 incited riots in North Eastern Delhi, in which at least 53 people died. Mishra called to “shoot the traitors of the nation”.
• On August 6, police in Uttar Pradesh state arrested a 35-year-old businessman for being the administrator of a WhatsApp group in which an allegedly “derogatory ” comment against Hindu supremacist Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was posted.
• On August 9, the authorities notified residents in the Nai Basti slum in Uttar Pradesh state that their houses were illegally constructed . Subsequently at least 135 houses were demolished. Commentators note that the slum is located merely 600 metres from the spot claimed by some to be the Hindu god Krishna’s birthplace, suggesting an ulterior motive. The Supreme Court ordered a stay on the demolitions.
• On August 16, the Uttar Pradesh government issued an order directing officials to investigate “negative” news items published by media outlets. The order said officials concerned must seek explanations from the media houses if the facts in the story were found to be “twisted” or “false” in order to tarnish the image of the government.
• On August 19, Delhi Police prevented people from entering a meeting venue in New Delhi, where a meeting critical of the G20 summit took place, citing that the organisers did not have “permission” for the event.?
• On August 22, police registered a case against actor Prakash Raj over a tweet in which he reportedly mocks India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission to the moon. Hindu supremacist organisations had reportedly filed a complaint.

Legislative

• On August 7, the Parliament passed a Bill that gives the BJP-led central government control over posting and transfers of bureaucrats in the capital Delhi. The Supreme Court had previously in May passed a verdict that the power over bureaucrats in the national capital lies with the state government, not the central government. This is now nullified.
• From August 8 to 10, the Indian Parliament debated a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Modi, filed over his lack of response to Manipur. On August 10, the motion was defeated by voice vote. This is the second time that Mr Modi's government is facing a no-confidence motion since it came to power in 2014. Opposition parties demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in Parliament, but the government has so far only agreed to a short duration discussion. In a 2-hour speech defending his government during the vote, Modi criticised the motion as an attempt by opposition parties to "defame India ". Modi only addressed the violence in Manipur when the opposition walked out on his speech after an hour.?
• On August 10, the Central government tabled a Bill which proposes that the members of the Election Commission of India be selected by a committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition, and a Minister nominated by the Prime Minister. Legal experts note that the Bill will give more power to the executive over the Election Commission and violate an order by the Supreme Court from March. The Election Commission oversees the integrity of India’s elections.
• On August 12, Home Minister Amit Shah introduced three bills to replace the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Evidence Act. There are serious human rights risks associated with the penal code reform: While the government frames this as a measure to reduce colonial legacy in India’s penal system, others note that it expands police powers, and creates a new offence that de facto widens the definition of “sedition ”. The new Bills also do not include procedural safeguards against false implication in terrorism cases.?

Judiciary

• On August 4, the Supreme Court put a stay on the conviction of opposition leader Rahul Gandhi for defamation. Following a remark on the “Modi” surname, Gandhi was convicted to the maximum sentence of two years in prison, which is the minimum needed to disqualify him from Parliament. The suspension of Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as Member of Parliament was subsequently overturned .
• On August 8, the Supreme Court started hearing a batch of petitions challenging the revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution which unilaterally took away the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The petitions had been left pending since 2019 . Notably, on August 29, the Supreme Court asked the Union Government to provide a time-frame or roadmap for the restoration of statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, noting that it “cannot be a Union Territory ” under direct control of the centre “permanently”. The Supreme Court also noted that “restoration of democracy is important ”.
• On August 24, a Delhi court acquitted a Muslim man in a case related to the 2020 riots after observing that the police made “artificial statements ” against him. This is the second time in a month that the court pulled up the Delhi Police over its investigation in a case related to the riots, in which at least 53 people died. On August 16, the same court said the police had “manipulated evidence ” in another case.

Internet and technology

• On August 4, a coalition of 35 civil rights groups called on Reuters news agency to terminate its partnership with ANI, an Indian news agency, due to its reported Islamophobic reporting and dissemination of false information.
• On August 8, 20 current and former faculty members of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore have called in a letter on Indian corporates to defund “the spread of misinformation and hate speech through news channels and social media”, warning that “rapidly increasing levels of radicalization” are “fermenting an atmosphere conducive to large-scale violence.”
• On August 10, the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill was passed in the upper house of Parliament . Opposition MPs had staged a walkout due to another issue and were absent from the vote . The Bill is widely criticised , including by transparency activists, who note that the Bill restricts the Right to Information Act and allows public authorities to withhold critical information in the name of data privacy; that the Bill does not require actors to tell users with whom their data is shared, how long it will be stored, and if their data will be transferred to other countries; and that the Bill does not provide adequate safeguards against government surveillance.
• On August 19, Indian authorities blocked Indians from accessing the independent Kashmiri news outlet The Kashmir Walla and all its social media platforms, triggering strong criticism by the Committee to Protect Journalists .