USCIRF REPORT 2019 ANALYSIS ON INDIA

INDIA ON USCIRF REPOT 2019

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) release a report on religious freedom of different countries of Europe, Africa and Asia nothing major has been changed in this report.

WHAT IS UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (USCIRF)?

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is a U.S. federal government commission created by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. USCIRF's principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and the Congress.

 REPORT ON INDIA BY USCIRF 2019:

USCRIF made some points and allegation on India which will be observed in this report analysis.

According to report the India has seen major downfall in there secularism in past years like their target was the Narendra Modi government. As per the report approximately one-third of state governments increasingly enforced anti-conversion and/or anti-cow slaughter law and discriminatorily against non-Hindus and Dalits were increasing.

The cow protection mobs engaged in violence predominantly targeting Muslims and Dalits whom have been legally involved in the dairy, leather, or beef trades for generations. Christian are also under accusations of forced or induced religious conversion and mob violence was also carried out against them.

They have also mentioned that in cases involving mobs killing an individual based on false accusations of cow slaughter or forced conversion, police investigations and prosecutions were not properly pursued.

They also blamed the Hindu nationalist groups like Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sang (RSS), Sangh Parivar, and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) to alienate non-Hindus or lower-caste Hindus is a significant contributor to the rise of religious violence and persecution. The nationalist groups in India have expanded the ideology of Hindutva, or “Hinduness,” which has three pillars common nation, race, and culture and forms the basis of an oftentimes exclusionary national narrative with a singular focus on the rights of Hindus

The Religious freedom conditions varied dramatically from state to state, with some states continuing to be relatively open and free for religious minorities, while others—if taken on their own—had “systematic, ongoing, egregious” violations of religious freedom.

In 2018, the Supreme Court of India highlighted the deteriorating conditions for religious freedom in some states, concluding that certain state governments were not doing enough to stop violence against religious minorities and, in some extreme instances, impunity was being granted to criminals engaged in communal violence.

They also put allegation against PM Narendra Modi that he rarely criticize mob violence publicly, and certain members of his political party have affiliations with Hindu extremist groups and used inflammatory language about religious minorities publicly.

Seeing all this they have place India in tier 2 once again this year of 2019.

The Indian government repeatedly has denied USCIRF access to India, the Commission wants the opportunity to openly engage with the government for a USCIRF representative to visit India to discuss shared values and interests, including international standards of freedom of religion or belief and related human rights.

INDIAN OFFICIALS REACTION ON USCIRF REPORT:

 Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: "India is proud of its secular credentials, its status as the largest democracy and a pluralistic society with a longstanding commitment to tolerance and inclusion."

Raveesh Kumar also focused on that India is widely acknowledged for its vibrant democracy where the Constitution provides protection of religious freedom, and where democratic governance and rule of law further promote and protect fundamental rights.

He also said that "We see no locus standi for a foreign entity/government to pronounce on the state of our citizens constitutionally protected rights"