A Matter of Concern

Context: India’s ranking in The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report has been deteriorated from Country of Special Concern (CSC) to Country of Particular Concern (CPC).

About USCIRF report

• It is an independent, bipartisan US federal government commission established in 1998 under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).

• It monitors freedom of religion across the world except in the US and USCIRF reports are globally respected.

• Who are the CPC countries? 

• Countries where the government engages in or tolerates “particularly severe” violations of religious freedom. 

• Under the US’s IRFA, severe violations of religious freedom indicate “systematic, on-going and egregious violations including torture, degrading treatment, prolonged detention without charges and other flagrant denial of right to life, liberty or the security of persons”.

State of Religious Freedom in India as per the report

• Ranking: 

• Afghanistan, Sudan, Indonesia, and Egypt have higher ranking than India.
• India is on par with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, North Korea, Syria, Myanmar, and China on the question of religious freedom.

• Observations:

• Media: Biased with selfish politicians and regressive rightist ideology.
• Judiciary: Inactive over issues like CAA, Article 370, NRC.
• Misuse of strengthened parliamentary majority: in instituting nation-level policies violating religious freedom.
• Discriminatory provisions: in Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
• Promotion of culture of impunity: by state and central governments (CAA and Babri Masjid verdict).
• Lynching incidents in the name of cow slaughter.
• Nationwide campaigns of harassment and violence against religious minorities and resulting hate speech and violence.

Way Forward

• Issue of autonomy in temple management must be addressed.
• Foreigners under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution have the right to not only “profess and practise” but also “propagate” their religion. 
• Anti-conversion laws must be in accordance with international human rights law (Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Search Results International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)).
• Strong mob-lynching laws.
• Denial of reservation to the scheduled castes, nationwide NRC and CAA needs a relook.