"Severe Violation Of Religious Freedom" In India: US Commission
The United States’ Federal Government Commission flagged the alleged worsening of religious freedom in India. The commission called for it to be designated as a “Country of Particular Concern”. The report was released by United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
The report said that throughout 2024, “individuals have been killed, beaten, and lynched by vigilante groups, religious leaders have been arbitrarily arrested, and homes and places of worship have been demolished. These events constitute particularly severe violations of religious freedom”.
The report also shed some lights on how misinformation, and disinformation including hate speech by government officials were used to incite violent attacks against religious minorities and their places of worship.
The report also highlighted India’s legal framework to target and disenfranchise religious minorities, including the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and several state-level anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws.
The report recommended that the US Department of State has designated India as a “Country of Particular Concern,” or CPC, or engaging in systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom, said the statement released by USCIRF.
The Commission concluded the report by saying that religious freedom in India continue to follow a deteriorating and concerning trajectory. It said by introducing the cow slaughtering law, and anti-conversion law, the authorities have arbitrarily detained individuals highlighting violations of religious freedom, including religious leaders, journalists, and human right activists without due process.
It said the Indian officials have repeatedly employed hateful and derogatory rhetoric and misinformation to perpetuate false narratives regarding the religious minorities, inciting widespread violence, lynchings, and demolition of places of worship.
The US Commission also recommended measures the government can take to address religious freedom violation in India, including issuing targeted sanctions on government officials responsible for severe religious freedom violation, conditioning arms sales based on improved religious freedom conditions, and incorporating religious freedom priorities into bilateral meetings with Indian government counterparts.
