United Nations: India slammed Pakistan during a UN General Assembly session on Friday (local time), describing it as a "broken record" that remains stagnant while the world progresses after Pakistan's envoy at the UN made references towards the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) during remarks in the Assembly.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said this while responding to comments made by Pakistan’s Ambassador Munir Akram during the plenary meeting on Friday where the resolution ‘Measures to combat Islamophobia’, introduced by Pakistan, was adopted by the 193-member UN General Assembly.
"One final point concerns a delegation (and its remarks) that, much like a broken record, remains sadly stagnant while the world progresses,” she said. Akram made references to the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya as well as to the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Kamboj said it is “unfortunate indeed to witness this delegation’s limited and misguided perspective on matters relating to my country, the more so, when the General Assembly considers a matter that demands wisdom, depth, and a global outlook from the entire membership – perhaps not the forte of this delegation.”
The rules for implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 were notified on March 11, four years after being passed, thus paving the way for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened a Hindu temple on January 22, where the country's top celebrities from across the life were seen in great attendance. The temple, which is still under construction, is dedicated to Hinduism’s Lord Ram and fulfils a long-standing demand by millions of Hindus who worship the revered deity.
India abstains on resolution to combat Islamophobia
Kamboj delivered a statement in explanation of India abstaining from a resolution introduced by Pakistan to combat Islamophobia, which was adopted by the UNGA, with 15 nations voting in favour, none against and 44 abstentions, including India, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Ukraine and the UK.
Kamboj highlighted that the prevalence of "religiophobia" against Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and other faiths facing violence and discrimination must also be acknowledged rather than singling out only one religion. She condemned all acts motivated by anti-Semitism, Christianophobia and Islamophobia, but asserted that it was crucial to understand that such discrimination extended beyond Abrahamic religions.
“Clear evidence shows that over decades, followers of non-Abrahamic religions have also been affected by religiophobia. This has led to the emergence of contemporary forms of religiophobia, particularly anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist and anti-Sikh sentiments,” she said, in an explanation of India’s position on the resolution.
The Indian Ambassador to the UN highlighted that it was crucial to recognise that Hinduism, with more than 1.2 billion followers, Buddhism with over 535 million and Sikhism with over 30 million followers are all subject to religiophobia, as evident in the increasing attacks on places of worship such as gurudwaras, monasteries and temples.
(with PTI inputs)
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