International

U.S. panel focus on violence against minorities in India

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON MAY 7. The communal rioting between Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat has taken a toll of more than 800 lives and the victims are "primarily Muslims,'' says the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

"The Commission continues to urge the U.S. Government to press Indian authorities to exercise their power to halt the atrocities and violence and bring the perpetrators to justice, and do more to root out the causes of religious intolerance, especially by resolving the impasse over the Babri mosque in Ayodhya destroyed in 1992 by Hindu nationalists who are vowing to construct a Hindu temple on the site,'' said its annual report for 2002.

A statutory body which advises the U.S. Congress and the President, the Commission focussed on India "in the light of the increase in recent years of severe violence against religious minorities in that country — Muslims, Christians and Sikhs nationwide and Hindus in Tripura State.''

The Commission also took note of the fact that it was yet to receive an invitation from the Government of India; and the point was being made that it would have to be invited. It disputed a State Department report that said that an invitation had been received and said this was "simply incorrect''.

"Notwithstanding requests that have been made since the fall of 2000, the Commission has yet to receive an official invitation from the Government of India'', the report said.

"There are only two countries where the Commission has been barred from coming. One is China, the other is India. They are different types of (political) systems and it is a little bothering," remarked Ambassador Shirin Tahir-Kheli, one of the members of the Commission. The bottom line argument is that governments cannot "pick and choose'' who among the Commission members can visit.

The Commission, which has sent its report to the President, the Secretary of State, the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, has criticised the manner in which the State Department goes about its annual reporting on international religious freedom, one of which being the narrow view of actions taken to promote religious freedom.

"In countries such as India, Georgia and Nigeria where there is substantial connection between religious freedom violations and inadequate or abusive law enforcement, lack of rule of law and ineffective judicial process, the reports (of the State Department) do not describe in any detail U.S. policies and actions with respect to these deficiencies.''

The panel urged the State Department to use the full range of available policy tools to take additional action against countries that may be designated as Countries of Particular Concern (CPCs).

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