US congresswoman submits resolution to label India a nation of concern

• The resolution was an appeal to the lower house to denounce abuses of human rights in India.
• 45 Indians are currently on USCIRF’s Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims list.
• “expressing great concern over the increasing treatment of religious minorities in India”.

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of the United States (US) submitted a resolution to the House of Representatives urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to declare India a nation of “particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act and the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act.

As part of an appeal to the lower house to denounce abuses of human rights and religious freedom in India, the congresswoman, together with representatives Rashida Talib and Juan Vargas, tabled the resolution on Tuesday at the 117th Congress.

The resolution emphasised the fact that India has been named a country of particular concern for three years in a row by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

In addition, it said that according to the USCIRF’s most recent report, “the Indian government increased its promotion and implementation of policies—including those promoting a Hindu-nationalist agenda—that adversely affect Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and other religious minorities” in 2021.

Also Read

Pakistan urges holding India accountable for sexual crimes in IoK

International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict being observed...

According to the human rights organisation, the Indian government “continued to systemize its ideological vision of a Hindu state by enforcing existing laws and enacting new ones to fundamentally transform the state, leading to an increase in hostility suffered by the country’s religious minorities.”

The USCIRF report, according to the report’s addition, discussed the use of legislation like the Sedition Law and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act to “create a climate of intimidation and terror in an effort to suppress anyone speaking out against the government.”

According to the report, “USCIRF report outlines emblematic cases of the Indian Government’s repression, including the Jesuit human rights defender Father Stan Swamy and the Muslim human rights advocate Khurram Parvez.” The report was referring to the suppression of religious minority leaders and voices.

There are “many incidents of the Indian government criminalising, harassing, and oppressing interfaith couples and converts from Hinduism to Christianity or Islam,” the US human rights organisation added.

In their resolution, the lawmakers cited USCIRF’s criticism of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Registry of Citizens for Indian Muslims, stating that they posed a “serious risk” to Indian Muslims and could “possibly result in the statelessness or indefinite detention of millions.”

According to the report, “religious minorities, mainly Muslims and Christians, as well as their neighbourhoods, businesses, residences, and places of worship, were the target of several attacks in 2021. Numerous of these episodes involved violence, were uncalled for, and/or were supported or instigated by government agents.

In addition, the paper highlighted a 2021 Oxfam India investigation that discovered that during the Covid-19 outbreak, a third of Indian Muslims experienced discrimination at hospitals.

In addition, the resolution stated that UNCIRF had discovered evidence that despite the large-scale and diverse protests against farm laws in 2021, “efforts—including by government officials—were still made to disparage the protesters, especially Sikh protesters, as terrorists and religiously motivated separatists.”

The resolution stated that 45 Indian nationals are currently listed on USCIRF’s Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims list, all of them were designated for their incarceration.

According to the resolution, Rashad Hussain, the ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have previously expressed worry about the rising tide of violence against religious communities.

Blinken had stated, “In India, the world’s largest democracy and home to a great range of faiths, we’ve seen escalating attacks on people and places of worship.” Blinken was speaking during a news conference to introduce the 2021 Department of State Report on International Religious Freedom.

In order to “condemn the human rights violations and violations of international religious freedom in India, especially those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and other religious and cultural minorities,” US congressmen have called on the house of Congress.

The resolution also urged secretary Blinken to identify India as a nation of particular concern and called for “expressing great concern over the increasing treatment of religious minorities in India.”

Also Read

India will start enrolment under new military recruitment plan this month

Enrolment under India's new armed forces recruitment strategy will begin this month....