Washington: A US commission on International Religious Freedom has asked the State Department to designate India as, country of particular concern, for violating religious freedom, human rights, and oppression of religious minorities.
The report termed religious freedom conditions in India remained poor. During the year, Indian government at the local, national and state levels continued to promote and enforce policies, including laws targeting religious conversion, interfaith relationships and cow slaughter that negatively affect Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits & Adivasis.
The national government also continued to silence critical voices, particularly religious minorities and those advocating on their behalf.
According to the report, including through surveillance, harassment, property demolition, arbitrary travel bans and detention under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and by targeting NGOs under the Financial Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).
Religious freedom and related human rights in India are under ongoing threat for a variety of reasons, including various government policies that do not protect religious minorities. Indian government continued to repress critics of its policies and ideologies. Officials surveilled, harassed, detained and prosecuted a number of journalists, lawyers, rights activists, academics, political leaders, religious minorities and others critical of its policies through the use of various laws, including UAPA and other statutes.
USCIRF recommended that US Department of State designate India as a country of particular concern in its 2022 annual report for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious religious freedom violations, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act.
US government should impose targeted sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ or entities’ assets and/or barring their entry into US.
Please visit our website London Institute of Peace Research for latest peace news
