WASHINGTON (TIP): The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), that researches and monitors international religious freedom issues, in its latest report slammed ruling BJP and Hindu nationalist groups for perpetrating violence against religious minority communities.

USCIRF’s 2017 annual report which was released on Aug 15, pointed out that “In 2016, religious tolerance and religious freedom conditions continued to deteriorate in India.”

“Hindu nationalist groups—such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Sangh Parrikar, and Vishal Hindu Perished (VHP)—and their sympathizers perpetrated numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence against religious minority communities and Hindu Dalits. These violations were most frequent and severe in 10 of

India’s 29 states. National and state laws that restrict religious

conversion, cow slaughter, and the foreign funding of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and a constitutional provision deeming Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains to be Hindus helped create the conditions enabling these violations.”

The report criticized the ruling party as well. “While Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke publicly about the importance of communal tolerance and religious freedom, members of the ruling party have ties to Hindu nationalist groups implicated in religious freedom violations, used religiously divisive language to inflame tensions, and called for additional laws that would restrict religious freedom. These issues, combined with longstanding problems of police and judicial bias and inadequacies, have created a pervasive climate of impunity in which religious minorities feel increasingly insecure and have no recourse when religiously motivated crimes occur”, it said. Based on these concerns, in 2017 USCIRF again places India on its Tier 2, where it has been since 2009.

USCIRF suggested following recommendations to the US government:

• Integrate concern for religious freedom into bilateral contacts with India, including the framework of future Strategic Dialogues, at both the federal and provincial levels, and encourage the strengthening of the capacity of state and central police to implement effective measures to prohibit and punish cases of religious violence and protect victims and witnesses;
• Increase the U.S. Embassy’s attention to issues of religious freedom and related human rights, including through visits by the ambassador and other officials to areas where communal and religiously motivated violence has occurred or is likely to occur, and through meetings with religious communities, local governmental leaders, and police
• Press the Indian government to allow USCIRF to visit the country, and urge the Indian government to invite the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief to visit India
• Urge India to boost training on human rights and religious freedom standards and practices for the police and judiciary, particularly in states and areas with a history or likelihood of religious and communal violence;
• Urge the central Indian government to press states that have adopted anti-conversion laws to repeal or amend them to conform with internationally recognized human rights standards; and
• Urge the Indian government to publicly rebuke government officials and religious leaders who make derogatory statements about religious communities.