U.S. panel criticises India for religious freedom violations

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, AUG. 17.

At a time when there is the general feeling that Indo-U.S. relations are on the upswing, the Commission on International Religious Freedom has once again criticised the Indian Government for grave violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by it.

In a letter to the Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, the U.S. Commission said it was ``seriously considering'' whether India and other countries such as Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam meet the statutory criteria for designation as ``countries of particular concern,'' known as CPC.

It urged the State Department ``to monitor closely religious freedom in these countries during the upcoming year and to respond vigorously to further violations there that may merit CPC designation later in the year''. The Commission said that its findings revealed severe violations of religious freedom in each of the four countries.

The context of the Commission's findings has to do with the recommendation to Gen. Powell that nine countries have engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom and thereby requiring CPC designation. The nine countries are Myanmar, China, Iran, Iraq, Laos, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Turkmenistan.

It has further recommended that the Taliban in Afghanistan be re- designated as a particularly severe violator of religious freedom.

Though it did not append any summary with respect to India in its letter, it nevertheless referred to its findings that had been discussed in detail in its annual report which was released in May, 2001. In that report, it drew attention to the ``disturbing increase'' in severe violence against religious minorities.

``The violence is especially troubling because it had coincided with increase in political influence at the national and, in some places, the State level of the Sangh Parivar, a collection of exclusivist Hindu nationalist groups of which the current ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party or the BJP, is a part,'' it noted in that report.

The Commission then went on to recommend a set of steps that should be pursued with India, including the suggestion that Washington should allocate funds from its foreign assistance programmes for the promotion of education on religious tolerance and inclusiveness in India.

Further, it made the linkage between protection of religious freedom in India and enhanced bilateral economic ties. ``... the U.S. Government should take into account the efforts of the Indian Government to protect religious freedom, prevent and punish violence against religious minorities and promote the rule of law. If progress is made, the U.S. should seek ways in which it can respond positively through enhanced economic ties,'' it said.

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Section  : International
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