500 churches, two synagogues desecrated in India in one year — USCIRF

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended that the US government designate India as a "country of particular concern" (CPC), arguing the religious freedom conditions in the country has continued to deteriorate under the Hindu nationalist government led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"The government reinforced discriminatory nationalist policies, perpetuated hateful rhetoric, and failed to address communal violence disproportionately affecting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Jews, and Adivasis (Indigenous peoples)," USCIRF said in its annual report on Wednesday.

The American federal government commission, citing local NGOs, said that in 2023 alone, 687 incidents of violence were reported targeting Christians, "who continued to be detained under various state-level anti-conversion laws."

It said in January last year, Hindu mobs attacked Christians in central Indian Chhattisgarh state, destroying and vandalising churches and attempting to "reconvert" individuals to Hinduism.

"An estimated 30 people were beaten for refusing to renounce their faith. The same month, two Christians were detained without bail, accused of forcibly converting individuals of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes," the report said.

"In June 2023, more than 500 churches and two synagogues were destroyed and over 70,000 people displaced during clashes in Manipur state," the US agency said.

USCIRF said that continued enforcement of the draconian laws such as Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws "resulted in the arbitrary detention, monitoring, and targeting of religious minorities and those advocating on their behalf."

Targeting media and NGOs

The US commission said that both news media and NGOs reporting on religious minorities were subjected to strict monitoring under FCRA regulations.

"In February 2023, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs suspended the FCRA license of the Centre for Policy Research, an NGO dedicated to reporting on social issues and state capacity, including discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities. Similarly, authorities raided the offices and homes of NewsClick journalists, including Teesta Setalvad for her reporting on anti-Muslim violence during the 2002 Gujarat riots," USCIRF added.

Citing 2019 abrogation of India-administered Kashmir's limited autonomy and its annexation USCIRF said, "Indian authorities continued to detain and harass Kashmiri journalists, religious leaders, and human rights defenders.

"Journalist Irfan Mehraj was arrested in March for his reporting on marginalised religious minorities," the report said.

The US agency said Indian Muslims and their places of worship continued to face violations throughout 2023, arguing several mosques were destroyed under police presence and Hindu vigilantes attacked Muslims under the guise of protecting cows from slaughter.

"In Haryana's predominantly Muslim Nuh district, communal violence erupted following a Hindu procession in July, where participants carrying swords chanted anti-Muslim slogans. A Muslim tomb and mosque were torched, resulting in the death of at least seven individuals, including Imam Mohammad Hafiz," the report said.

"The violence was in part initiated by "Monu Manesar," a well-known cow vigilante accused of murdering two Muslim men in January for allegedly transporting cattle."

The American federal agency said "Manesar, who has garnered support from the BJP, publicly called for individuals to participate in the Hindu procession."

"The same day, an Indian railway guard killed three Muslim men inside a train to Mumbai. The perpetrator reportedly asked the victims their names, which indicated their religious identity, before killing them," USCIRF reported.

The US agency also accused Indian authorities of "increasingly engaged in acts of transnational repression targeting religious minorities abroad."

It cited alleged role of Indian authorities in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, which was followed by a plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States in November.

USCIRF seeks sanctions

India is the most populated country in the world, with a population of approximately 1.4 billion, with nearly 80 percent of them Hindus.

Religious minorities make up 20 percent of the South Asian country's overall population, consisting of approximately 199 million Muslims, 32 million Christians, 23 million Sikhs, and smaller populations of Buddhists, Jains, Baha'is, Parsis, and Jews.

The USCIRF called for all branches of the US government to act against India's "egregious violations of religious freedom."

The Commission called for "targeted sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom" by making assets inaccessible or by modifying the visas of particular individuals.

The USCIRF called on the US Congress to host hearings and briefings, as well as producing letters and forming delegations, that directly address the issue of religious freedom in India.

"In addition, Congress should place conditions on the free flow of financial assistance and arms to India on the grounds that India's attention to its domestic religious freedom violations increases," it said.

USCIRF said it supports any effort made by the US Embassy "to facilitate meetings with prisoners of conscience and human rights defenders" for the purpose of advancing religious freedom in India.