On Friday, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) once again urged the Biden administration to classify India as a “country of particular concern” under the U.S. Religious Freedom Act.
The commission alleged that India has been targeting religious minorities abroad, and recent actions by the Indian government to suppress activists, journalists, and lawyers were cited as a serious threat to religious freedom.
According to USCIRF, the Indian government’s alleged involvement in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and a plot to assassinate another Sikh activist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in the United States raised deep concerns. USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck found these allegations troubling. The Indian embassy in Washington has not yet responded to these claims, and the Indian government consistently denies any discrimination in the predominantly Hindu nation.
In a statement, USCIRF implored the U.S. Department of State to designate India as a Country of Particular Concern due to its continuous and severe violations of freedom of religion or belief. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan recently revealed a plot involving an Indian national and an unnamed Indian government employee to assassinate a New York City resident advocating for a sovereign Sikh state in northern India. India has denied any involvement in this plot.
The situation is delicate for both India and the Biden administration as they seek to strengthen ties amid concerns about an assertive China. USCIRF has recommended the designation of India as a country of particular concern every year since 2020 under the 1998 U.S. Religious Freedom Act. This designation allows for various policy responses, including sanctions or waivers, although they are not automatic. USCIRF Commissioner David Curry emphasized the danger of India extending domestic repression to target religious minorities living abroad and stressed that this cannot be ignored. In response to the 2020 recommendation, India’s foreign ministry dismissed it as biased and tendentious.
