The USCIRF has outlined the primary objective of its Congressional hearing: To explore how the US government can collaborate with the Indian government to address alleged violations of religious freedom
The US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recently made headlines by announcing its plans to conduct a hearing on the state of religious freedom in India. This independent and bipartisan federal government agency, established under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), has raised concerns over what it perceives as “discriminatory policies targeting religious minorities” in India.
This development comes in the wake of two significant bilateral meetings held in June between Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and President Joe Biden of the United States, both in the US and in New Delhi.
The USCIRF on its website outlined the primary objective of its Congressional hearing: To explore how the US government can collaborate with the Indian government to address alleged violations of religious freedom. Notably, Fernand de Varennes, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, has been invited to testify before the Commission. He will be joined by other experts, including Tariq Ahmed, a Foreign Law Specialist at the Law Library of Congress; Sarah Yager, the Washington Director of Human Rights Watch; Sunita Viswanath, the Executive Director of Hindus for Human Rights; and Irfan Nooruddin, the Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Professor of Indian Politics at Georgetown University.
The USCIRF has recommended since 2020 that the US Department of State designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) due to what it perceives as systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom within the country
The USCIRF’s allegations against India revolve around a range of policies and incidents over the past decade. These include anti-conversion laws, cow slaughter laws, legislation that favors citizenship based on religion, and constraints on foreign funding for civil society organizations. The Commission has also pointed to specific incidents, such as violence between Hindus and Muslims in Haryana in July and targeted attacks against Christian and Jewish minorities in Manipur. These events, in the USCIRF’s view, underscore the need for innovative strategies to address violence against religious minorities in India.
Furthermore, the USCIRF has recommended since 2020 that the US Department of State designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) due to what it perceives as systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom within the country.
During the forthcoming hearing, witnesses will delve into India’s legal framework and the enforcement of what the USCIRF characterizes as discriminatory policies. They will also provide insights into the current state of religious freedom in India and offer policy suggestions for how the United States can collaborate with India to combat perceived abuses of religious freedom and related human rights issues within the country.
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