A rogue state is typically defined as one that is repressive internally and aggressive towards its neighbors. It supports and sponsors terrorism, possesses weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), and poses a threat to world peace. The term has long been an essential part of the U.S. diplomatic lexicon. American policymakers use the term to describe a group of aggressively recalcitrant authoritarian countries ruled by leaders perceived as irrational or belligerent. These distinctive features are overlooked if the rogue state aligns with and serves the interests of the West. India, ticking all the boxes of a rogue state, remains a classic example.
Today India is not only governed by a fundamentalist leadership but is displaying scant regard for international law and basic human values. Furthermore, it also continues to brutalize minorities and pursue military expansionism against its neighbors. The Nazi-inspired regime is also the custodian of one of the world’s most rapidly advancing nuclear weapons programs.
India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by PM Modi, known as the ‘Butcher of Gujarat,’ is the political arm of the Nazi-inspired Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Before being elected as PM, Modi served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He was solely responsible for the Muslim massacre in Gujarat in 2002. As soon as Modi became the PM of India in 2014, the country’s claims of being a secular state started deteriorating. Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and lower caste Hindus are forced to live ‘worse’ than human beings in India. Violence and hate speech against Muslims in India have been a historical phenomenon but it has increased many folds since PM Modi came to power. In a ten-year study from 2009 to 2019, more than 90%Â of hate crimes against minorities were found to have occurred after 2014.
The BJP-RSS nexus is fast turning India into a pariah state that has no regard for international laws and norms of the civilized world. In a complete disregard to the UN’s multiple resolutions, it has stripped Indian-occupied Kashmir of its disputed status, while people’s rights are being suppressed through stringent laws. Modi scrapped the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) special status guaranteed by India’s constitution decades ago and turned the Muslim-majority state into a federally controlled territory. In the occupied territory, India has done brazen violations of human rights, turning the whole valley into a Nazi-inspired concentration camp. The BJP-RSS nexus passed a discriminatory Citizens Amendment Act in 2019. BJP is following Nazis’ footsteps. It is not just Muslims, but low caste Hindus, Christians, and other minorities are also bearing the brunt of Hindutva fascist ideology.
In April 2022, 50 thousand houses of Muslims were demolished in the state of Hyderabad, and in 2023, 400 incidents of violence against Christians were reported in 23 states of India. In August 2023, Indian extremists killed hundreds of Christians and burned 600 villages in the Kandhamal district of Orissa. Recently in May 2023, ethnic violence erupted in India’s north-eastern state of Manipur. According to government figures, 175 people have been killed in the violence. 4,786 houses were burnt and 386 religious structures including temples and churches were vandalised. The violence left more than 70,000 people displaced from their homes. The National Crime Bureau’s report said that over 250,000 hate crimes against lower castes were reported in the last 5 years.
Despite the economic failures of his first term, Modi won a second term ‘based on hate narrative’ in 2019 and an unending series of carnage of Indian minorities. The recent ‘Babri Masjid-Ram Temple saga’ is playing politics in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in May this year. The fascist regime appears to be exploiting this historical controversy as a strategic tool to garner electoral support and consolidate power. This event represents another Indian shift from a Secular State to a Hindu State. At the inauguration ceremony, PM Modi said the opening of a temple heralded a “new era” for India. Moreover, Indian President Murmu stated in parliament that the building of the Ram Temple has been a dream of centuries; it is a reality now.
India has left no stone unturned in destabilizing and carrying out terrorist activities in the region. India is perpetually engaged in continuous violations of international laws. India is in complete violation of Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 2 (4) of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Indian intelligence agency, RAW, has become a global terrorist organization, having its terrorist activities expanded throughout the globe. Pakistan, as a victim of Indian terrorism, has been alerting the international community of the dangers posed by Indian state-sponsored terrorism to regional and international peace and security.
On 25 Jan 2024, Pakistani security agencies successfully exposed Indian terrorist groups and Indian handlers/facilitators involved in heinous terrorist acts and targeted killings in Pakistan. Earlier in Mar 2016, Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav was arrested in a counter-intelligence operation in Balochistan’s Mashkel area for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan. Notably, in a video statement, Kulbhushan openly admitted that he was the serving agent of RAW in Balochistan. He confessed that he spied for India and was assigned the task of creating unrest in Karachi and Balolchistan to destabilise Pakistan.
The international community’s failure to condemn India for its terrorist activities in the past for geopolitical considerations has emboldened New Delhi to expand its terrorist network from South Asia to Europe and North America. Last year, the brutal murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, by India, made headlines globally. Canada had strongly reacted to the murder of Nijjar and highlighted the killing globally. After Nijjar’s murder, India didn’t stop but carried out another nefarious plan, to assassinate American-based Sikh leader GurPatwant Singh Pannu, which was foiled by the timely action of American intelligence agencies. The accused of this murder plan is facing judicial proceedings in the United States.
This portrayal offers a stark view of India’s trajectory under the BJP government, led by PM Modi, and its association with extremist ideologies. From internal repression of minorities to aggressive actions against neighboring States, India’s conduct mirrors the characteristics of a rogue state, challenging international norms and agreements. Recent events, including targeted violence against religious minorities and State-sponsored terrorism, underscore the pressing need for the international community to address India’s destabilizing behavior. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) must assume a central role in scrutinizing India’s involvement in State-sponsored terrorism. India’s geopolitical alignment, especially with the U.S.-led West, should not exempt it from accountability. Failure to hold India accountable risks exacerbating regional tensions and jeopardizing global peace and security. It is imperative for the world to confront these challenges directly and uphold the principles of human rights and democracy before the situation deteriorates further.
Sharjeel Afzal
Sharjeel holds a Masters Degree in Strategic and Nuclear Studies and is working as a Visiting research associate in Strategic Vision Institute (SVI), Islamabad.
