The sharp decline in human rights and growing intolerance in India, which prides itself to be the world’s largest democracy has grabbed the attention of world powers, international media and civil society alike. Most recently, a letter was written by Mr. Robort Menendez, Chairman, United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on March 17, 2021 to the Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin who has embarked on an official visit to India where he is expected to meet India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
In the letter, Chairman Robort Menendez began by urging the Defence Secretary to raise the issue of growing human rights violations with the India government as the partnership between the two countries must be based on shared democratic values from which the Indian government has been “trending away”[1].
