U.S. Commission warns of sharp deterioration of religious freedom in India

At a Capitol hearing, members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and experts called for immediate U.S. intervention to end persecution of religious minorities in India. The panelists characterized the current state of affairs as critical, noting the steady decline of civil liberties in the country.

According to Catholic World Report, USCIRF Vice Chairman Asif Mahmood described the situation of religious freedom in India as «appalling» during his remarks. He said minority communities and their places of worship remain extremely vulnerable to discriminatory legislation, surveillance and constant harassment. Mahmood emphasized that members of the clergy are regularly arrested on charges of conducting forced conversions.

Vicky Hartzler, chair of the commission, complemented the report by pointing out the systematic nature of persecution at the national and regional levels. Thirteen of India’s 28 states have enacted anti-conversion laws, which, along with anti-terrorism legislation, are being used for arbitrary detentions. Of particular concern is the increase in violence against Christians, who according to the Vatican number about 23 million (1.6% of the country’s population), including incidents of pogroms and destruction of property.

In this regard, human rights activists, particularly Raqib Naik of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate, have called on the US State Department to formally recognize India as a «Country of Particular Concern» (CPC). Former Ambassador-at-Large Stephen Rapp suggested implementing «effective methods» to pressure the Indian government, including gathering evidence against specific perpetrators for possible international prosecution. The experts also insisted that human rights issues should be an integral part of any diplomatic and economic negotiations with New Delhi.