India-Aus trade ties strengthen, as human rights concerns sidelined
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been met with a warm welcome in Australia as he embarks on trade talks with the Australian Prime Minister.
This comes as Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling on PM Albanese to raise human rights concerns with Prime Minister Modi, citing his extremist right-wing Hindu nationalist party’s draconian laws and intimidation tactics impacting freedom of speech in India. HRW also pointed to the Modi Government’s policies and rhetoric perpetuating violence against marginalised communties.
According to the Australian Associated Press, when Australia’s deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles was asked whether human rights should be on the agenda he said India was a large democracy that shared values with Australia.
The Wire speaks with Democracy in Colour national director Neha Madhok about this.