COVER PAGE

• Sub-theme of the paper: Socially Ingrained Discrimination against Religious

Minorities of South Asia and the Law

• Title of the Paper: Discrimination against Religious Minorities in South Asia

• Name of the Author: Ayushi Soni

• Name of the Co-Author: Shrey Sharma

• E-mail address: ayushiba1920@hpnlu.ac.in, shreysharma1952@hpnlu.ac.in

• Postal Address: (Ayushi Soni) #586, opposite Somani College, Defence Colony,

Kamla Nehru Nagar, Jodhpur, Rajasthan (342008)

• Postal Address: (Shrey Sharma) #2149, Sector 42C, Chandigarh (160036)

• Contact number: 7568160039, 7986068532

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 DISCRIMINATION AGAINST RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN SOUTH ASIA

Abstract:

Virtually all countries in the world have national or ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities
within their populations. Minority religions have often suffered from discrimination and
persecution. The guilty party may be the government, paramilitary groups, or even the society
at large.

Using the religious minorities in South Asia the research paper has studied about the
discrimination faced by them to get access to criminal justice system. Prejudice and
discrimination in South Asia on the grounds of religious minority continues to be widespread,
despite freedom of religious belief and expression being a fundamental rights.
Research has documented that religious minorities often face the brunt of religious
discrimination. Yet the criminal justice system have been lacking to protect them. The minority
religions face discrimination from the state because they represent unwanted competition for the
state supported religion and are viewed as a threat to the state and larger culture, and lack support
from an independent judiciary.
These concerns are arising in a changing social context where in South Asia as a whole as
there is a rise in those affiliated to religious minority group and this population is growing.
This paper explores possible ways to tackle the current situation prevailing in the society to
protect these religious minorities and explores the importance of recognising the
contribution of faith groups as part of local diversity.

Keywords: religion; minorities, discrimination, institution, criminal justice system,

South Asia, religious belief

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