MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George on Saturday strongly defended India’s democratic system, diversity and minority rights during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Netherlands.
The remarks came after a journalist from a Dutch newspaper raised concerns regarding press freedom and the treatment of minorities in India during an interaction linked to the Prime Minister’s visit.
Responding firmly, Sibi George said such questions often arise from a “lack of understanding” about India’s history, diversity and democratic framework.
“Let me tell you from my experience. We face these questions basically because of the lack of understanding of the person who asked the question,” he said.
Describing India as a civilisation with more than 5,000 years of history, George highlighted the country’s diversity and long tradition of coexistence among different religions and communities.
“There is no other country in the world where four religions originated — Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism — and all continued to flourish,” he said.
He also referred to the presence of Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities in India, stating that multiple faiths have coexisted peacefully for centuries.
“Christianity came to India much before it came to Europe and flourished in India. Islam came to India during the time of Prophet Mohammad himself and flourished in India,” he said.
Highlighting India’s democratic system, George said the country’s 1.4 billion people continue to live in peace and harmony under a democratically elected government.
“Everyone has the freedom of expression, freedom of press in the country. And that makes our democracy a very noisy democracy. And we are proud of that,” he said.
The senior diplomat also pointed to high voter participation in elections as evidence of India’s democratic strength.
“Recently we had elections. More than 90 per cent of the electorate voted. This is the beauty of India. It’s a vibrant democracy,” he added.
On minority rights, George said the minority population in India has grown steadily since Independence.
“When we became independent, the minority population in India was 11 per cent. Now it is more than 20 per cent. Name a country where the population of minorities has gone up,” he said.
He also highlighted India’s linguistic diversity, noting that 22 official languages are represented on Indian currency notes.
“We are 1/6th of the world’s population, but not 1/6th of the world’s problems. This is the beauty of India,” George said.
Inviting foreign observers to witness India firsthand, he added, “I would invite you to visit India and see for yourself how India lives, how thriving an economy it is, and the vibrant democracy it is.”
-ANI
