Lack of understanding’: India dismisses Dutch concerns over press freedom, minority rights

India on Sunday strongly rejected reported remarks by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on press freedom and minority rights, with the Centre saying such comments reflected a “lack of understanding” of the country’s democratic and civilisational ethos.

The response came during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Netherlands after a Dutch journalist raised questions about media freedom and the treatment of minorities, including Muslims, during an interaction in The Hague.

Addressing reporters, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Sibi George defended India’s democratic record and social diversity, saying criticism often stemmed from inadequate knowledge of the country’s history and institutions.

“India is a country of 1.4 billion people with a civilisation of more than 5,000 years. It is diverse in terms of culture, language, food and religion,” George said, describing India as a vibrant and pluralistic democracy.

He highlighted that Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism all originated in India and argued that the long-standing presence of Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities reflected the country’s tradition of coexistence. George noted that Jewish communities had lived in India for over 2,500 years without persecution, while Christianity and Islam had flourished for centuries.

George also pointed to India’s electoral process and peaceful democratic transitions as evidence of the country’s democratic strength. Referring to recent elections, he said voter participation exceeded 90 per cent in some regions and stressed that India had pursued economic growth and poverty reduction through democratic means.

He further argued that the increase in India’s minority population since independence demonstrated inclusivity and coexistence. “When we became independent, the minority population in India was 11 per cent. Now it is more than 20 per cent,” he said.

The remarks followed reports in Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant that Jetten had expressed concerns about press freedom and the rights of minorities in India ahead of his meeting with Modi, saying such issues were regularly discussed with the Indian government.

However, after meeting Modi, Jetten said in a social media post that both India and the Netherlands valued democracy, good governance and a rules-based global order. He also referred to a long-running child custody dispute that has previously figured in diplomatic discussions between the two countries.