The democratic rights of India’s citizens are being torn down.

The nearly 10-year term of the country’s Hindu nationalist government — led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi — has seen escalating violence and conflict against Muslims, who make up its largest minority — and a steady weakening of democratic institutions that could stand in the way.

The symbol of this assault is the bulldozer.

Last month, a fleet of bulldozers descended upon houses and shops of unsuspecting Muslim residents in India — tearing down buildings without any official notice or legal order — in what the courts have now termed "an exercise of ethnic cleansing.” Genocide Watch warns that Islamophobia “has become a state-manufactured ideology.”

Elected figures have indulged in violent Islamaphobic rhetoric: Chief Minister of India’s most populous state Yogi Adityanath, who is widely considered to be Modi’s successor, has talked about “feeding bullets” to Muslim troublemakers.

The democratic institutions designed to challenge these actions are also being torn down. Media houses and civil society groups have been subject to lawfare; India was ranked 161 out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index this year. Civil society activists languish in jail without trial; the ‘Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act’ meant to curb terrorism is used to routinely imprison dissenters.

This week, political leaders around the world — including, Cornel West, Clarissa Mendoza, Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana, Vijay Prashad, Walden Bello and Yanis Varoufakis — came together in a letter organised by the Progressive International to express grave concern about this brazen bulldozer regime and the demolition of India’s democracy.

You can add your name to their call and share the news here.

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