New Delhi: Seventeen retired Indian civil servants, diplomats, and public figures have expressed concerns about increasing persecution of Muslims in India.

According to Kashmir Media Service, these individuals have addressed a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting a significant rise in discrimination and violence against minority communities, particularly Muslims, since Modi’s government came to power in 2014.

The open letter, signed by notable figures such as former Lt-Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, and ex-Planning Commission Secretary NC Saxena, underscores the partisan role of state governments in recent years. The signatories warned of increasing anxiety and insecurity among minorities, citing incidents of lynching, Islamophobic hate speech, and targeted attacks on Muslim properties as evidence of a troubling trend. The letter criticizes certain state administrations for fostering intolerance and failing to protect minority rights, accusing them of ignoring violence and exacerbating communal tensions.

Specific concerns include calls by right-wing groups to survey historic mosques and Sufi shrines, such as the Ajmer dargah, which the signatories argue aim to rewrite India’s pluralistic history and undermine its secular ethos. They also noted the judiciary’s quick response to such demands, despite protections under the Places of Worship Act, warning that this undermines India’s constitutional commitment to pluralism.

The letter urges Prime Minister Modi to denounce divisive rhetoric and violence publicly, ensure state governments uphold constitutional values, and convene an interfaith dialogue to reaffirm India’s secular identity. The signatories caution that ongoing polarization could impede India’s progress and development, emphasizing the importance of fostering inclusivity and safeguarding India’s pluralistic heritage for the nation’s democratic and cultural future.