The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently advised the Joe Biden Administration to designate India as a Country of particular concern. The Commission expressed serious concern over the lack of Religious Freedom in India, stating that the situation in the South Asian country was extremely alarming.

In its latest report, the USCIRF mentioned that the situation of religious minorities worsened in India in 2022. It further mentioned that India’s moves to silence Human Rights activists, journalists and lawyers should be considered as a serious impediment to Religious Freedom. Hence, the Commission urged the Biden Administration to designate India as a Country of concern.

Talking to the media, USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck stressed: “New Delhi’s alleged involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatists Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US was deeply troubling.” Pannun is one of the main leaders of the Khalistan Movement that advocates for a religion-based separate state to be split out from Punjab Province and many neighbouring areas in India, to be known as Khalistan. Schneck added that these instances “represent a severe escalation of India’s efforts to silence religious minorities and Human Rights defenders both within its country and abroad”.

For his part, another USCIRF Commissioner David Curry stated: “Indian authorities, within its own borders, have repeatedly used draconian legislation, like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and anti-conversion laws to systematically crack down on religious minorities, journalists, and activists.” He stressed that “extending this repression to target religious minorities from India living abroad, including intimidation tactics against journalists, is especially dangerous and cannot be ignored”.

The Annual Report of the USCIRF read: “Indian authorities have used spyware and online harassment campaigns to target and intimidate journalists and activists abroad advocating on behalf of religious minorities.” It stated: “Transnational repression occurs when states use intimidation, harassment or violence against those living outside their borders. Transnational repression campaigns often target political and Human Rights activists, journalists, and members of religious and ethnic minority groups. In extreme cases, tactics include detention, reprisals against family members, kidnapping or, as illustrated by India, assassinations.” At the same time, the USCIRF requested the US Government “to continue its active engagement with senior Indian officials and international partners to ensure religious minorities can live and express themselves without fear of reprisal, whether in India or elsewhere”.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Washington DC made no knee-jerk reaction to this report prepared by the USCIRF. According to diplomats, the Government of India routinely dismisses such complaints. This is not the first time that the US Commission has made a recommendation to blacklist India, alleging that Religious Freedom is being violated in this country. The Commission has been making this allegation every year since 2020. In 2020, the Government of India dismissed the allegation as biased.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das