India on religious freedom blacklist

There has been intense criticism of India in US Congress despite the cordial relations between the two countries. A US panel has called for India to be placed on a religious freedom blacklist over a drastic downturn under the Modi government.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said India should be ranked among ‘countries of particular concern’ and subject to punitive sanctions for failing to improve their record. It noted the increasing assault on minorities and declining religious freedom as the Modi government continues with his racist Hindutva ideology.

The panel issues recommendations but does not set policy and it is unlikely that the State Department would oblige. Trump has developed strong relations with Modi and has not criticized the discriminatory policies in India. It was also noted the Modi is the only leader followed on Twitter account of the White House. The US President even praised Modi during this recent visit despite the worst violence in decades targeting Muslims.

The independent US panel looked at religious freedom records and said that India’s move to clamp down on minorities was troublesome. It called on the US to impose sanctions including visa bans for officials involved. It said the Modi government allowed violence against Muslims and their places of worship with impunity, tolerated hate speech and endorsed incitement to violence.

There are growing concerns about India’s action in the international community but it remains to be seen if Washington would act on the recommendations. India has seen nationwide protests and violence while Delhi police turned a blind eye to mobs targeting Muslims and their neigbourhoods. The panel also noted the discriminatory citizenship law calling it a ‘tipping point’ and the revocation of Kashmir’s autonomy.

Although the US panel has recognized the atrocities of Indian Muslims, the Trump administration is hesitant to even issue a statement condemning India. The failure to take action will see a repeat of the 2002 Gujarat massacre perpetrated by Modi. Even during the ongoing pandemic, Muslims are being discriminated against, not treated in hospitals and there is a malicious campaign to vilify them.

The international community should speak up about the worsening human rights situation and declining religious freedom in India. This is the ideal time as these policies are now seen in practice and Muslims are at a heightened risk of social exclusion.