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
You people can check reports, SDPI people involved in many RSS workers' murder. They didnt get proper punishmnet
How BJP became communal..! BJP stands for patriotism. SDPI people working for conversion of people and making issues. That party should be banned fully.
Shame mr. rai. You only making the situation more complicated. By terming 'communal hub', you are injecting fear to common people.
BJP, SDPI both are communal they agreed. Should add more. BD, PFI etc
Dear Mr. Rai, with due respect, you and your party before flagging off the rally must answer the following questions to the general public!
1) you and your party won many times and even ruled undivided DK District but, why have you failed to controll the RSS and its hate campaign aginst a particular community???
2) During the last assemble election you have made public that once you got elected, you will send prabahkar bhat to jail! what action have you taken??
3) your own party worker late mr. Jaleel karopadi murdered by RSS Goons, what action and justice you have done to his father? who openly cried for justice and in anger he critisized you for failing to provide him justice!
4) under your constituency there were many muslim leaders and activists murder happend were were you that time?
5) the national tragedy of Babri masjid was demolished under congress rule and your national leadership maintained the soft hindutva, why have your party failed to protect it ..?
6) your national leadership had once said we will give justice to muslim community, and will rebuild babri masjid, being in a power for more than 10 years why your party couldnt provide the justice to the victims??? 7) your party have appointed the sri krishna commission! what action your party implimented against the hindutva brigade??
8) you and your party claims that, we are the protector of minority community! what protection you and your party provided for indian muslims?? since 70 years they have been looted, burnt alive, raped,tortured, made refugees, made scape-goat as terrors, etc etc ???
during all those time indian muslims dedicated their trust on all the so called secular partys, but all of them ditched to the community and maintained soft hindutva!
The anger, Disappointment, Frustration, and the Thawakkul on allah made to born SDPI on indian soil..!! that is the reality, that nobody cannot deny!!
Your Failure is SDPI's Stength, and SDPI's Success is indian oppressed community's success..!!
Add new comment