EU-India Strategic Deal

EU-India Strategic Deal

Supporting those who Violate Human Rights?

On September 17, 2025, the European Union launched a new Strategic EU-India Agenda. This was a general strategy that involved a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA), and a Geographical Indications (GI) pact. It was described as a giant leap by Brussels in collaborating in the field of security and economy. But critics perceive something far more troubling behind the phrase “shared values and strategic partnership” and Europe turning a blind eye to India’s deteriorating human rights policy and its unlawful activities in Kashmir.

The timing and tone of the agenda 2025 are subject to severe moral and political concerns. The EU is lending systemic repression to a greater level of credibility by getting too near to a regime. This regime is accused of smothering opposition, throwing journalists into prison, and also targeting minorities.

Europe has always positioned itself as a champion of democracy and human rights, yet this agreement demonstrates that economic and political interests now outweigh moral values.

Europe’s Moral Blind Spot

The EU has periodically demanded that countries with poor human rights records such as China and Myanmar should be held accountable. However, in the case of India, a large market and a balancing force to China, those standards appear to be debatable. The new agenda fails to acknowledge the harsh reality within the nation, where opposing the government is systematically suppressed through laws such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

However, these legislations provide police officers with extensive authority of detention and immunity, and this is why forced disappearance, torture, and extrajudicial killings can be perpetuated with near impunity. The Indian ruling classes argue that they are needed to ensure national security, yet the ultimate effect is the creation of a regime where protesting against the government is illegal. Moreover, Europe’s indifference, even though Indian officials persecute activists, writers, and students, demonstrates the existence of a double standard.

When those very ideals are under attack in one of its partner countries, the EU’s rhetoric of “shared democratic values” rings hollow.

Minorities in Danger

The main aspect of this critique is the situation of India’s religious minority. Violence against Muslims and Christians has risen sharply in the last 10 years, often with or without the involvement of government officials. Cow vigilante lynchings, church desecrations, and the destruction of Muslim homes under “bulldozer justice” are becoming a part of their politics. These violations do not feature on the EU’s agenda with India. Instead, the discussion centers on “cultural exchange” and “mutual prosperity,” while the communities most in need of international support remain overlooked.

Issue of Kashmir

One of the most controversial aspects of the new agenda is its scope. The framework includes Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as part of India, a move that directly violates international law. There are numerous UN resolutions which affirm that Jammu and Kashmir are a disputed territory whose final status must be determined through a plebiscite. By endorsing trade and investment agreements covering the entire region, the EU effectively reinforces India’s unilateral claims and undermines both the UN framework and its own commitment to international law.

The message is obvious for Kashmiris living under military lockdown, surveillance, and arbitrary detentions; their right to self-determination is no longer as important as economic interests.

Moreover, Pakistan has consistently maintained that the UN should address the Kashmir issue. It views the EU–India agenda as a direct challenge to its economic and diplomatic stature. The pact might let India use Europe’s goodwill to push Brussels into reconsidering Pakistan’s GSP+ status, a trade program vital to Pakistan’s exports. In such a scenario, India would emerge as Europe’s top partner in South Asia, while Pakistan would suffer economic and strategic setbacks. It reflects a troubling paradox when the EU penalizes one country for misconduct while rewarding another for similar behavior.

Furthermore, proponents of the new agenda argue that engagement is better than isolation, claiming that stronger trade relations will give Europe greater influence over India’s conduct. Yet history tells a different story: economic interdependence rarely leads to moral persuasion, especially when the partner state recognizes that strategic interests outweigh moral principles.

Therefore, the EU-India Strategic Agenda of 2025 could have been an opportunity to strike a balance between cooperation and conviction, making it clear that trade and human dignity do not go hand in hand. Yet, the oppressed across the globe turn to Brussels for moral leadership and Europe’s silence today will echo tomorrow. If the EU truly aspires to be a defender of human rights, it must hold its allies to the same standards it demands of its adversaries. Otherwise, this so-called “strategic partnership” would be recognized not for fostering growth and prosperity, but for the covert support of injustice.