US calls out Modi govt for deteriorating religious freedom in annual report
State Department report points to increased harassment of religious minorities in India
Washington: The United States has expressed concern over a “concerning increase” in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, and the demolition of homes and places of worship for minority faith communities in India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the remarks at the release of the annual State Department report on international religious freedom.
The report stated that senior US officials consistently raised issues of religious freedom with their Indian counterparts throughout 2023.
“In India, we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities. At the same time, people around the world are also working hard to protect religious freedom,” Blinken said.
In this year’s report, the US state department said that Christians and Muslims were arrested under laws banning forced religious conversions, which religious groups said in some cases were used to harass and imprison members of religious minority groups on false and fabricated charges or for lawful religious practices.
Observing that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated calls to enact a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the country as called for in the Constitution instead of a system of separate personal laws for religious communities, the state department said Muslim, Sikh, Christian, and tribal leaders and some state government officials opposed the initiative on the grounds it was part of a project to turn the country into a Hindu Rashtra (a Hindu Nation).
The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) welcomed the report, echoing the findings of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which has repeatedly urged the State Department to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” due to severe violations of religious freedoms for minorities.
“Once again, it is clear from the State Department’s own reporting that India more than qualifies as a CPC,” said IAMC executive director Rasheed Ahmed. He urged Secretary Blinken to act on these findings and designate India as a CPC, emphasizing the ongoing and severe violations of religious freedoms in the country.
