Washington, Apr 29: A US government panel on Tuesday called for India to be put on a religious freedom blacklist over a "drastic" downturn under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, triggering a sharp rebuttal from New Delhi.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom recommends but does not set policy, and there is virtually no chance the State Department will follow its lead on India, an increasingly close US ally.
In an annual report, the bipartisan panel narrowly agreed that India should join the ranks of "countries of particular concern" that would be subject to sanctions if they do not improve their records.
"In 2019, religious freedom conditions in India experienced a drastic turn downward, with religious minorities under increasing assault," the report said.
It called on the United States to impose punitive measures, including visa bans, on Indian officials believed responsible and grant funding to civil society groups that monitor hate speech.
The commission said that Modi's Hindu nationalist government, which won a convincing election victory last year, "allowed violence against minorities and their houses of worship to continue with impunity, and also engaged in and tolerated hate speech and incitement to violence."
It pointed to comments by Home Minister Amit Shah, who notoriously referred to mostly Muslim migrants as "termites," and to a citizenship law that has triggered nationwide protests.
It also highlighted the revocation of the autonomy of Kashmir, which was India's only Muslim-majority state, and allegations that Delhi police turned a blind eye to mobs who attacked Muslim neighborhoods in February this year.
Coronavirus state-wise India update: Total number of confirmed cases, deaths on April 29
The Indian government, long irritated by the commission's comments, quickly rejected the report.
"Its biased and tendentious comments against India are not new. But on this occasion, its misrepresentation has reached new levels," foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said.
"We regard it as an organization of particular concern and will treat it accordingly," he said in a statement.
The State Department designates nine "countries of particular concern" on religious freedom -- China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
The commission asked that all nine countries remain on the list. In addition to India, it sought the inclusion of four more -- Nigeria, Russia, Syria and Vietnam.
Pakistan, India's historic rival, was added by the State Department in 2018 after years of appeals by the commission.
In its latest report, the commission said that Pakistan "continued to trend negatively," voicing alarm at forced conversions of Hindus and other minorities, abuse of blasphemy prosecutions and a ban on the Ahmadi sect calling itself Muslim.
India's citizenship law fast-tracks naturalization for minorities from neighbouring countries -- but not if they are Muslim.
Modi's government says it is not targeting Muslims but rather providing refuge to persecuted people and should be commended.
But critics consider it a watershed move by Modi to define the world's largest democracy as a Hindu nation and chip away at independent India's founding principle of secularism.
Tony Perkins, the commission's chair, called the law a "tipping point" and voiced concern about a registry in the northeastern state of Assam, under which 1.9 million people failed to produce documentation to prove that they were Indian citizens before 1971 when mostly Muslim migrants flowed in during Bangladesh's bloody war of independence.
"The intentions of the national leaders are to bring this about throughout the entire country," Perkins told an online news conference.
"You could potentially have 100 million people, mostly Muslims, left stateless because of their religion. That would be, obviously, an international issue," said Perkins, a Christian activist known for his opposition to gay rights who is close to President Donald Trump's administration.
Three of the nine commissioners dissented -- including another prominent Christian conservative, Gary Bauer, who voiced alarm about India's direction but said the ally could not be likened to non-democracies such as China.
"I am deeply concerned that this public denunciation risks exactly the opposite outcome than the one we all desire," Bauer said.
Trump, who called for a ban on Muslim immigration to the US when he ran for president, hailed Modi on a February visit to New Delhi.
Comments
The actual FACT is during Independence and Partition of India & Pakistan, British as usual left a piece of land so that there will be no peace between India & Pakistan (in-case if they join Hands they will become Super Power of the World). The only solution for Peace to Prevail is leave Kashmir to their people. Let them decide which part of Kashmir they want to stay, make partition, I know this won't be done as for political GAINS, Let the families of Politician start living in Kashmir and feel how it is to lose a loved ones. Just by blaming Pundits and Muslims wont work. Killing innocent people by either side is just to brainwash the Public and to keep the rivalry alive on the basis of religion and country.
Malala , you have yourself experienced how inhuman and ruthlessly atrocious Pakistan Government is. As they manipulated you and your family’s circumstances to harass, they are exploiting and manipulating India’s freeness and all-inclusiveness to keep Kashmir and its denizens in constant turmoil to get pleasure from other’s pain. They are doing same to Baluchistanis since partition and the Kashmiries of Pakistan held area are extremely unhappy and are in totters due to this policy of Pakistan.
Its Pakistan's fault not Indians....Pakistan should stop sending terrorists to India ...which is not happening at all....that is why Kashmiris suffering around there...
Malala should advise Pakistan government first not to involve with our domestic problems....
It is good for Kashmiris if they stay with India as far as their security and economic developments are concerned...
True that Malala has suffered beyond our imagination and came out of it bravely. But that doesn't make her an expert in everything.
Dear Malala, Can you please talk about the inhumanity and heartbreak in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan?
Malala Request you to please stay peaceful and stay happy and not say things that don't fit into ur vocab pls.
I didn't really used to like her but now my respect for her has gone up a lot.
Do you live in delusional world..what should paramilitary forces do if someone is breaking law and order of any country
Lets hope this time her voice will be heard as she has won Noble Prize for PEACE. Lets wish that India will keep Human Life above her EGO and will look Kashmir with HUMAN eye before there is no solution left
Dear Malala, Surely New Delhi government and Kashmiri people need to work together. Your concern is respected.
India in committing a genocide in Kashmir by killing innocent people SC must take notice of this.
As much as I admire Malala, I hate to see her get into Politics and Indo-Pak disputes. There are enough noises being made, or have been made, to no end.
please advise the kids to stop pelting stones and focus on studies to snatch the opportunities from rapidly growing Indian economy.
Thank you Malala for raising your voice in our support.
Since you are an influential opinion maker, I hope the world listen to you and stop the perpetrator from committing these atrocities against us.
Malalaji, Welcome to politics.
Dear Malala we respect you. But it is not government of India or Pakistan decide the future of Kashmir. There are some third parties who really want disturbance or conflict in the valley.
Trolls across the border always loved everything Malala spoke about. I hope they do the same now and accept stark reality!
Thank You Malala, for your kind words and care about Kashmiris
She is a teenage girl with little understanding of the dynamics of terrorism inspite of being a victim of it herself. The valley has been infected by the terror virus with religion which drove away the natural inhabitants of Pandits from Kashmir being hounded from mosque sermons. Many got murdered and not so lucky to escape. No one thought of their rights, now a generation has spent the life as refugee. Neither India nor local Kashmir government or the world body cares to it. However Pakistan terror export looks working well, but it is always the civilian who pays the price.
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