Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the government of Bangladesh to put perpetrators of violence against religious minorities on trial as soon as possible.
Answered by Lord Sharma
The British Government is extremely concerned by the increase in extremist-related violence against a number of minority groups including Hindus in Bangladesh since September 2015. The former Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) most recently talked to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh about countering extremism in the margins of the G7 meeting in Japan on 27 May. The former Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) raised this with Foreign Minister Ali on 5 July. The British High Commissioner regularly discusses these issues with Bangladesh government ministers.
We welcome Prime Minister Hasina’s “zero tolerance” approach towards terrorism, but this must be implemented in a way that fully respects the international rights standards that Bangladesh has signed up to and which, as a member of both the Commonwealth and the UN Human Rights Council, it has pledged to uphold.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which Diwali celebrations he, his predecessor or Ministers in his Department attended in 2014 and 2015.
Answered by Marcus Jones
DCLG Ministers attended the following Diwali functions:
2014:
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Hindus at the House of Commons (15 October 2014) - Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles MP
Deputy Prime Minister’s Diwali function at Admiralty House (22 October 2014) - Stephen Williams MP
Conservative Party event to celebrate Diwali at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (27 October 2014) - Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles MP
2015:
Prime Minister's Diwali reception at No10 Downing Street (10 November 2015) - Rt. Hon. Greg Clark MP and Baroness Williams of Trafford
Asked by: Lord Ahmed (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the position of the government of India in respect of campaigns in that country to convert non-Hindus to Hinduism; and what is their assessment of the impact of such action on religious minorities in that country.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We are aware of the Hindutva movement, a form of Hindu nationalism in India. However, the Constitution of India guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion. The Indian government has a range of policies and programmes to support religious minorities. More recently, Prime Minister Modi reassured religious groups that every citizen has the right to follow any faith without coercion and vowed to protect all religious groups in India. However, we are aware that incidents of discrimination against minority communities do happen. British Ministers and officials from our High Commission in New Delhi discuss religious and minority issues with the Indian National Commission for Minorities and senior faith leaders. Most recently Minister of State at the Home Office with responsibility for Crime Prevention, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), met the Indian Minister for Minorities in January. During their visit to India in February, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association also met the Indian Minister for Minorities and discussed religious freedom. We will continue to maintain a dialogue with the new Indian government about religious and minority rights issues.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has to honour in London the contribution of Indian troops to the First World War.
Answered by Helen Grant - Shadow Solicitor General
Up to 1.5 million volunteers from India served on various fronts during the First World War. The role India played in the Gallipoli campaign will be reflected in the UK's commemorative services being held at Cape Helles in Turkey and at the Cenotaph in London on 24th and 25th April respectively.
The DCMS is facilitating a multi faith event at the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester on 10th March, the centenary of the second Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the first major engagement of Indian troops on the Western Front. This is bringing together British Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs to honour the contribution of their forebears and to commit themselves to continue working together for the good of society.