Monthly Overview of India News – October 2024

India in the World 

• On 14 October, the Canadian government named the Indian High Commissioner and other Indian Diplomats ‘persons of interest’ in their ongoing investigation into the 2023 murder of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.  
• Also, on 14 October, the Canadian government expelled 6 Indian diplomats, including the High Commissioner. The Indian government responded by expelling 6 Canadian diplomats and advising that it had withdrawn the Indian envoy to Canada.  
• The British government called for the government of India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation as did the US State Department, remarking that the Indian government is currently failing to do so. 
• The US State Department met with the Indian government on the 16 October to discuss an Indian government employee’s alleged involvement in an assassination attempt against a Sikh separatist in New York in November 2023. 
• On 18 October, the office of the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced they had brought charges against a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav for allegedly directing the assassination plot. Yadaz currently resides in India and no longer works for the government. The US is expected to seek his extradition.  
• India did not sign a letter supported by 104 other countries and the African Union in which Israel was criticised for declaring UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata. In early October, Israel declared Guterres persona non grata after accusing him of failing to condemn attacks initiated by Iran and Hamas – a claim Guterres disputes, citing that he always denounced these actions.   
• On 12 October, India called on Bangladesh’s interim government to ensure the safety of minorities following a series of attacks during Durga Puja celebrations. Minority groups raised concerns about violent attacks, which reportedly target mostly Hindus in the country since the interim government was put in place with the Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Unity Council recording 2,010 violent attacks, mostly against Hindus in the month of August alone. 
• Chinese President Xi and Prime Minister Modi held their first formal talks in 5 years at the 2024 BRICS summit on 28 October. They already agreed to increase communication and cooperation to help resolve conflicts at the Himalayan border. Tensions have risen between the two countries due to these clashes.  
• At the BRICS Summit, hosted by Russian President Putin 36 world leaders met to discuss further collaboration, including possibilities to limit the effectiveness of US sanctions by reducing dollar transactions. However, the Indian envoy said India remains reluctant to do so due to fears of retaliatory sanctions.  
• Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany, met with Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi to publicly endorse an ‘ambitious’ free trade agreement between India and the EU. Whilst in India, Scholz signed increased cooperation agreements on defense, trade, clean energy and information technology. These bilateral agreements continued despite the Indian government missing the EU-India Human Rights Dialogue, which was postponed in August of this year.   
• In late October, the Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister allegedly confirmed that the Canadian government suspects Indian Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah of orchestrating a campaign of ‘violence and intimidation’ which targets Sikh activists. 

Civil society, human rights defenders and journalists 

• Mahesh Langa, a senior journalist with The Hindu was arrested on 8 October allegedly in connection with a Goods and Services Tax scam. His arrest has been called into question by rights groups as he is one of few independent voices in Gujarat amid an oppressive climate for independent journalists in India. A case was filed against Langa on October 22. The Press Council of India, which is mandated to protect press freedom, has not intervened.  
• On 9 October, Hindutva Watch was named as the recipient of the Take Action Against Hate award. The Take Action Against Hate awards are granted to groups and individual persons who ‘work to counter hatred in any of its forms.’ 
• The release of two men accused in the 2017 murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh this month stirred controversy after both were given a warm welcome by some Hindutva groups. Both men, along with others accused, were released on bail on 11 October, after being imprisoned for over six years. Lankesh, known for her critical stance on Hindutva politics, was shot dead outside her home.  
• The 37-day strike of the Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU) ended on 16 October after management agreed to all the demands of the striking union. The striking workers demanded, among other things, the recognition of SIWU. Since 2023, they have been working to get their union recognised by the state government, a process stalled by Samsung, which refused several requests from SIWU for dialogue and tried to end the strikes. 
• Junior doctors protesting the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital ended their hunger strike on 21 October after 10 days. The group was protesting for a 10-point charter, which included changes like the dismantling of the ‘threat culture’ in the state’s medical sector.  Although they reportedly exited talks with the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and others empty-handed, they are said to be planning new protest actions and charting their next steps. 
• On 21 October, the Supreme Court granted human rights activist Teesta Setalvad permission to travel to Amsterdam for the world premiere of her documentary CycleMahesh. Setalvad was originally detained in 2022, in connection with her human rights work for religious minorities. Various groups, like the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) consider her arrest and continued travel restrictions part of the Indian government’s systemic suppression of activists and NGOs working on issues involving religious minorities. Her arrest and the continued suppression of activists and NGOs raise concerns about the right from arbitrary arrest and detention (Article 9 ICCPR) and the freedom of assembly and the freedom of expression (Articles 19, 21 ICCPR). 
• A recent report from the World Association of News Publishers exposed Indian authorities’ alleged misuse of laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to suppress independent media. It focuses on the progressive news service NewsClick as a case study. If Indian authorities are misusing the law to silence dissent by independent media, this would be a violation of Article 19, ICCPR.   

Hate Crimes and Hate Speech against Minorities 

• On 7 October, six men were arrested in Ghaziabad after protests erupted around Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanand for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad. The arrests followed clashes where stones were thrown at police. Narsinghanand has been booked in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana for hate speech after an alleged video of his inflammatory sermon from last month went viral.  
• A traders’ body in Uttarakhand allegedly passed a resolution calling for approximately 15 Muslim families to leave the town by the end of the year. Families failing to leave face both legal and punitive consequences, and those who rent to Muslim tenants face a fine of Rs 10,000. The motivation behind the order is said to be the protection of Hindu women against members of the minority community, however, no evidence has been presented to justify these concerns. 
• On 24 October, a right-wing group in Uttarakhand held a protest rally for the demolition of a mosque they claimed was built illegally. Senior police officials and other authorities stated that records confirm the mosque’s legal registration. The march reportedly led to injuries among both civilians and police, some participants are accused of attacking officials with stones. Reportedly, 200 people face charges like attempted murder and use of criminal force towards women. 

Religious Freedoms and Minority Rights 

• In Gujarat, a Dalit family was allegedly assaulted for attending a religious dance event in early October. Other attendees, who were reportedly upper-caste Hindus, were said to have used casteist slurs and abused the family. The case is representative of growing violence against marginalised groups, including Dalits, across the country.   
• On 3 October, the Navratri Festival, a 9-day Hindu festival, began. In two BJP-ruled states, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, young Muslims were attacked for joining the festival. A female Muslim artist who was invited to perform at the event was banned from performing and the electricity was cut until she left.  
• At the same festival, a right-wing Hindu missionary group allegedly told non-Hindus to leave a dance event, threatening physical violence against those who refused to do so. At another event in Guna, Madhya Pradesh, the same group physically assaulted young Muslim people attending an event. One man was handed to the police who proceeded to assault him.  
• On 12 October, Indian human and indigenous rights activist Dr. G.N. Saibaba, who was unlawfully incarcerated for 10 years, died. Saibaba, an ardent defender of the Adivasi community, was arrested in 2014 on charges of belonging to the illegal Communist Party of India (Maoist) and allegedly being a danger to the Indian state. He was denied access to medical care despite being over 90% disabled and even subjected to solitary confinement. His arbitrary detention is representative of a systemic rule of law breakdown in India and could be in violation of ICCPR Article 9. 
• On 22 October, the Chief Justice of India spoke out against a recent ruling of the Allahabad High Court, striking down an act that regulated madrasa education. He shared his concerns that madrasa schools, which are religious Islamic schools, were unfairly being targeted and ‘ghettoised.’  In his remarks, the Chief Justice stressed that religious education exists for various religious groups, not just Muslims and that the Court could ensure the quality of such education without banning or restricting it.   
• The state of Himachal Pradesh reportedly introduced a discriminatory policy forcing restaurants to publicly display the names of employees. This policy, which already exists in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, is regarded as a way to facilitate economic boycotts of Muslim businesses since names are often an indication of which religious community one belongs to. Multiple businesses in both states have already fired Muslim staff. The state administrations allege that the policy is part of a food hygiene measure, a claim that seems to support the  ‘Spit Jihad’ conspiracy theory that Muslims were contaminating Hindu food with their saliva or other impurities.  
• On 14 October tensions flared between Hindu and Muslim communities in Bahraich. Tensions allegedly stemmed from the death of a Hindu man who was reportedly shot while replacing an Islamic flag with a Hindu symbol on top of a house in a Muslim district. In response, the Hindu community allegedly targeted multiple Muslims and their homes and businesses. In the same area, officials ordered the demolition of multiple properties, most of them belonging to Muslims and a few to disadvantaged castes. 

Internet and Technology 

• Deepak Sharma, a Hindutva figure best known for spreading hate speech and islamophobia on X (formerly Twitter), had his X account suspended again. Sharma has had his account suspended multiple times over a period of several years, for consistently violating community guidelines as he continues to target minorities and post open calls to violence against the Indian Muslim community. Despite his failure to follow community guidelines, Sharma’s account has always been unsuspended, enabling him to continue to polarise Indian society and instigate violence, unchecked.  
• Samsung India Electronics Private Ltd. (SIEPL) informed the Madras High Court that it suffered an estimated $100 million loss due to a 38-day strike by employees seeking recognition of their trade union, Samsung India Thozhilalar Sangam, affiliated with CITU. The company allegedly opposed the union’s use of “Samsung” in its name, arguing it could harm its reputation. In response, the union’s legal representative countered that this was not a trademark issue and that the Trade Unions Act of 1926 does not prohibit using a company’s name in union titles.  

Political Parties   

• On 8 October, the results of the Haryana Assembly elections became known. Some candidates, like Brijendra Singh from the Indian National Congress, lost by just a few votes. The elections were a mix of success and setbacks for Haryana’s political heirs. 
• On 12 October, Mumbai politician Baba Siddique was assassinated. Siddique, who was a member of the Nationalist Congress Party, one of the ruling parties in Maharashtra, was shot dead outside of his son’s office. The Bishnoi gang is alleged to be behind the assassination, however, police are still investigating.    
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi renewed his membership as the first active member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 16 October, marking the launch of the party’s 2024 membership drive. Modi explained that to qualify as an active member, a BJP worker must register 50 new members in a booth or Vidhan Sabha seat, which also makes them eligible to contest elections for positions in the party’s Mandal Committee and beyond. 
• Omar Abdullah was sworn in as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on 16 October. He is the first Chief Minister since the removal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019. Abdullah is the Vice-President of Jammy and Kashmir’s oldest regional party, the National Conference (NC), which promised to restore the autonomy and statehood to the territory.  
• On 17 October, Nayab Singh Saini took his oath as the new Chief Minister of Haryana. This is his second term as the Chief Minister of the state.  
• The INDIA block released the names of 21 candidates for the Jharkhand Assembly elections in late October. The Assembly elections will take place in two phases next month on 13 November and 20 November. 
• On 18 October, the far-right Hindutva party, Shiv Sena announced that Shrikant Pangarkar, who is currently on bail for his involvement in the 2017 murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, had been given charge of the party’s electoral campaign in one Maharashtra constituency. The next day, the party removed him from the position, following public outrage. Nearly half of the Members of Local Assemblies (MLAs) have registered cases against them; 28% have serious criminal cases against them, including attempted murder, murder, kidnapping and crimes against women. At the Union level, criminal cases have been filed against 46% of sitting MPs. The state of Maharashtra goes to the polls at the end of November.  

Police and authorities 

• On 3 October, the Union Home Ministry told the Supreme Court that criminalising marital rape is ‘excessively harsh’. In an affidavit to the court, the state advised that the criminalisation of marital rape could ‘lead to serious disturbances in the institution of marriage.’ Marital rape has been criminalised in over 100 countries, however India, where 4% of women report facing sexual violence within their marriage, it is yet to be outlawed.  
• The Supreme Court of India declined to take further police action against Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation on 3 October. This comes after the foundation’s centre was raided by police following a Madras High Court order related to criminal cases allegedly linked to the foundation. The Supreme Court has taken over the case.  
• Academics and teachers’ groups expressed concerns after the Union government allegedly asked that all centrally funded higher educational institutions (CFHEIs) undergo regular staff reviews to ensure teachers’ “doubtful integrity.” These groups stressed that transparency around the idea of “doubtful integrity” was needed to avoid authorities’ abuse of such an opaque term to retaliate against educators with critical views of the government. 

Judiciary   

• On 10 October, the remaining 8 accused persons in the infamous case of India’s last sati were acquitted. The almost 40-year-old case concerned 18-year-old widow Roop Kanwar, who was reportedly burnt alive against her will with the body of her husband who passed away days earlier. The practice has been banned since 1829 under the British and following her death in 1987, the glorification of sati was also banned. Despite this, several individuals stood accused of glorifying her death; most had been acquitted decades ago. 
• On 15 October, the Madhya Pradesh High Court granted bail to a man who allegedly shouted the phrase ‘Pakistan Zindabad Hindustan Murdabad’ [Long live Pakistan, Death to India.] The conditions of his bail are that he must salute the flag of India 21 times whilst shouting the phrase ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai [Long Live Mother India]’ twice a month.   
• On 17 October, the Supreme Court of India stated it would hear a plea for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. In 2019, the court upheld the Abrogation of Article 370, which removed special status from the then state. The court has more recently stated that statehood needs to be restored to the territory ‘at the earliest.’ 
• On the same day, the Supreme Court found Article 6A of the Citizenship Act to be constitutional. The verdict means that Bangladeshi migrants who entered  Assam after 25 March 1971 are not entitled to Indian citizenship. This date was the beginning of the Bangladeshi Liberation War from the state of Pakistan.  
• On 21 October, Supreme Court Chief Justice D.Y.Chandrachud allegedly said that when making his decision on the high-profile Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case he ‘sat before the [Hindu] deity and told him he needed to find a solution.’ The Babri Mosque was demolished in 1992 by Hindutva activists who claimed the mosque had been built on land which was the birthplace of the Hindu God Lord Rama. The 2019 ruling found that the land was given to the Hindu community for a Hindu temple to be built and the Muslim community was given another piece of land to build a mosque.   
• The Supreme Court aired its concerns that the Punjab and Haryana governments were failing to implement important environmental rulings related to stubble burning on 23 October. Stubble burning is the burning the crop residue from various grains after harvest and has been linked to air pollution. The Court raised concerns that while an Act delivering penalties for stubble burning was enacted, little was put in place to ensure its implementation. 
• The supreme court deferred hearing various petitions for the criminalisation of marital rape on 23 October. The hearing is delayed until a Chief Justice retires and a new bench takes over in about a month’s time. Petitioners are seeking to challenge sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) which provide exemptions for forced-sexual intercourse (rape) against one’s wife. 

Business & economy 

• Ratan Tata, leader of the Indian conglomerate Tata Group, passed away on 9 October. Despite its massive business success, Tata Steel is also known for its blatant violation of indigenous rights, displacement of Adivasi communities, and exploitation of natural resources through the state machinery. In 2006, 13 Adivasis were shot dead during protests against the building of a Tata Steel plant in Odisha. The massacre is remembered within the indigenous community as a Black Day.  
• October 9, The Delhi High Court expressed concern over Wikipedia’s refusal to identify the editors responsible for allegedly defamatory content on the Asian News International’s (ANI) Wikipedia page. ANI filed a defamation complaint, in reaction to the platform’s claims that it acts as a “propaganda tool” for the Indian government. The court warned Wikipedia that withholding the names of editors could jeopardize its “safe harbour” protection under the Information Technology Act. Wikipedia, which allows anonymous editing by volunteers, argued for protecting user anonymity. Experts believe that the case could have a chilling effect on free speech in India (a possible violation of Article 19, ICCPR). 

Compiled by The London Story.