New Delhi: The US State Department’s annual report on “international religious freedom” has again expressed concerns regarding India, and seeks to highlight the “violence by law enforcement authorities against members of religious minorities” in the country.
The 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom was released Monday, just over a month before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the US (22 June).
Among other things, it points to the “continued attacks on minorities — including public floggings, communal violence and the attack on members of religious minority communities”.
The report seeks to explore the conditions of religious freedom in 199 countries. According to the State Department, it’s compiled using information from government officials, NGOs, religious groups, and journalists, among others. The department says the report covers “government policies violating religious belief and practices of groups, religious denominations and individuals, and US policies to promote religious freedom around the world”.
In its observations on India, the 2022 report cited various incidents from last year, such as the public flogging of Muslim men in Gujarat, cow vigilantism, and allegations of forced conversions against minorities.
Although Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s official response made no mention of India, a senior State Department official said there were “continued targeted attacks against religious communities, including Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindu Dalits, and indigenous communities”.
In its response, the MEA said the report was based on “flawed understanding” and that senior official’s comments were “motivated and biased”.
“We are aware of the release of the US State Department 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom” MEA said in a statement. “Regrettably, such reports continue to be based on misinformation and flawed understanding. Motivated and biased commentary by some US officials only serves to undermine further the credibility of these reports. We value our partnership with the US and will continue to have frank exchanges on issues of concern to us.”
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NCERT cuts, cow vigilantism — what the report mentions
At the press briefing, the senior official of the State Department quoted above said the report focuses on the “dehumanising rhetoric, including open calls for genocide against Muslims; lynching and other hate-fuelled violence, attacks on houses of worship and home demolitions, and in some cases impunity and even clemency for those who’ve engaged in attacks on religious minorities” in India.
Among the incidents that have found a mention in the report is the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano rape-and-murder case in August last year, the public flogging of Muslim men in Gujarat’s Kheda during Navaratri celebrations in October, and the bulldozing of Muslim activist Afreen Fatima’s home in Uttar Pradesh.
Also mentioned was the hijab row in Karnataka and the subsequent state government ban on clothes that “disturb equality, integrity and public order”, the National Council of Educational Research and Training’s (NCERT) decision to drop “selected topics” from history textbooks, and court orders that “affected the properties of religious groups”.
Speaking at the briefing, the senior State Department official said that the US Holocaust Museum “continues to draw considerable attention to the human rights situation in India and lists it as one of its top countries of concern — with regards to potential for mass killings there”.
This story has been updated with MEA’s response
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