The United States Commission for International Religious Freedom has recommended that the current Biden administration designate India as a ‘country of particular concern.’ This was flagged despite it not being accepted previously in 2020.
The USCIRF presented its yearly report on Monday, May 1, in which it recommended the re-designation of 12 countries as countries of particular concern (CPF). This list included Iran and Pakistan, and also five additional CPC status for Afghanistan, Nigeria, Syria, Vietnam and India.
Sri Lanka was listed on the ‘special watch list’ or SWL for the first time.
According to the USCIRF’s report this year, the conditions for religious freedom in India “continued to worsen” last year. The report stated, “Throughout the year, the Indian government at the national, state, and local levels promoted and enforced religiously discriminatory policies, including laws targeting religious conversion, interfaith relationships, the wearing of hijabs, and cow slaughter, which negatively impact Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and Adivasis (indigenous peoples and scheduled tribes).”
The report further stated, “The national government also continued to suppress critical voices — particularly religious minorities and those advocating on their behalf — including through surveillance, harassment, demolition of property, and detention under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and by targeting nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).”
A US-based non-profit organisation called the Foundation of Indian and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) slammed the USCIRF report claiming that it was “biased.”
“It conveniently lists delays in court cases but conveniently omits the fact that the Assam High Court actually ordered the implementation of the NRC, not the government,” said Khanderao Kand, a member of the FIIDS.
Furthermore, the report fails to acknowledge the cultural and economic significance of cows to Indian villagers, not to mention the constitutional ban on cow slaughter,” said Kand.
“It conveniently ignores the fact that the bulldozed houses were illegal and notified, and the list of omissions goes on. Astonishingly, the USCIRF fails to mention the beheadings of Hindus and their targeted killings by jihadi Muslims in Kashmir, he added.”
On the other hand, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) supported the USCIRF’s decision to recommend the designation of India as a country of particular concern.
Rasheed Ahmed, the executive director of the IAMC, released a statement saying, “It is high time that the State Department acts on USCIRF’s recommendation and holds India accountable as the ground situation becomes increasingly more violent and dangerous for its religious minorities. We particularly welcome that the report highlights the systematic and appalling harassment of journalists.”
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