India’s diplomats in Geneva wasted no time in dismantling what they called a ‘hostile’ UN report criticizing the Waqf Amendment Act. Speaking at the Human Rights Council, Counselor Gaurav Kumar Thakur declared the findings by UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Professor Leverat, as factually flawed and reflective of deep-seated prejudice against the country.
The report claimed the Indian law hampers Muslims’ control over religious properties, but Thakur highlighted its progressive reforms: enhancing transparency, promoting gender parity, and streamlining administration. It notably strengthens smaller Muslim communities such as Dawoodi Bohras and Khoja Aga Khanis, granting them constitutional rights to manage their affairs independently.
Thakur pointed out the report’s reliance on biased sources, including fringe groups like the Indian American Muslim Council, whose agenda appears to weaponize India’s diversity for external narratives. In contrast, India’s constitutional framework robustly protects all minorities—religious, linguistic, or ethnic—allowing them to run educational bodies and select teaching languages freely.
The amendments mandate at least two Muslim women on waqf councils and boards, secure women’s inheritance in waqf properties, and ensure sectarian diversity in governance structures. This isn’t erosion of rights; it’s modernization. India’s unwavering dedication to multiculturalism shines through its institutions, which the UN expert conveniently overlooks. The episode underscores ongoing tensions between sovereign reforms and international oversight, with India firmly defending its democratic credentials.