India: another squeeze on religious minorities |
India's religious minorities, who constitute roughly 20% of the population, face increasing legal and political pressures within an increasingly ethno-majoritarian political climate. A recent case before the Supreme Court presented an opportunity to revisit this framework; however, the Court declined to depart from its earlier position, thereby maintaining the exclusion of Muslim and Christian converts from Scheduled Caste status.
According to Indian law, individuals who convert to Islam or Christianity remain ineligible for SC designation and the reservation benefits attached to that status, meaning they may lose access to allocated jobs and educational institutions tied to caste-based disadvantage. While earlier governments, including those led by the Congress Party, grappled with episodes of communal tension, the consolidation of Hindu nationalist politics under Prime Minister Modi has coincided with heightened concerns about religious freedom. Religious........