WAAHINGTON – Religious freedom conditions continued a “downward trend” inIndia last year as Hindu-nationalist groups sought to “saffronise” itthrough violence, intimidation, and harassment of non-Hindus and HinduDalits, a US federal government appointed commission has alleged.
The US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in itslatest report has placed India in the Tier 2 countries of particularconcern along with Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cuba, Egypt,Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhastan, Laos, Malaysia and Turkey, PTI has reported.
“Conditions for religious minorities have deteriorated over the last decadedue to a multifaceted campaign by Hindu-nationalist groups like RashtriyaSwayamsevak Sang (RSS), Sangh Parivar, and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) toalienate non-Hindus or lower-caste Hindus,” the USCIRF said.
The victims of this campaign include Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists,and Jains, as well as Dalit Hindus, who belong to the lowest rung in theHindu caste system, the USCIRF said in its latest annual report oninternational religious freedom.
“These groups face challenges ranging from acts of violence orintimidation, to the loss of political power, to increasing feelings ofdisenfranchisement and otherness,” it said.
“In 2017, religious freedom conditions continued a downward trend in India.India’s history as a multicultural and multi-religious society remainedthreatened by an increasingly exclusionary conception of national identitybased on religion. During the year, Hindu-nationalist groups sought to’saffronise’ India through violence, intimidation, and harassment againstnon-Hindus and Hindu Dalits,” it said.
Approximately one-third of state governments enforced anti-conversionand/or anti-cow slaughter laws against non-Hindus, and mobs engaged inviolence against Muslims or Dalits whose families have been engaged in thedairy, leather, or beef trades for generations, and against Christians forproselytizing, it said.
“Cow protection” lynch mobs killed at least 10 victims in 2017. Forcedconversions of non-Hindus to Hinduism through “homecoming” ceremonies (gharwapsi) were reported, and rules on the registration of foreign-funded NGOswere used discriminatorily against religious minority groups, the reportsaid.
At the same time, the report said that despite an overall deterioration ofreligious freedom conditions in 2017, there were positive developments.”Some government entities have made efforts to counter increasingintolerance in the country,” the USCIRF said.
The active and independent judiciary, exemplified by India’s Supreme Court,decided several cases during the year that protect the rights of religiousminorities, it said. In its report, the USCIRF has urged the US governmentto integrate concern for religious freedom into bilateral discussions withIndia, including the framework of future Strategic Dialogues, at both thefederal and state levels.
It also urged the US Government to press the Indian government to allow theUSCIRF to visit the country and to invite the United Nations (UN) SpecialRapporteur on freedom of religion or belief to visit India.