The forthcoming event of paramount significance on the horizon is the convening of a hearing by the esteemed United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) with its focus squarely aimed at the sphere of religious freedom within the vast expanse of India, slated to unfold in the imminent week.
This development emerges in the wake of not one, but two momentous and efficacious encounters, laden with bilateral import, between the honorable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the esteemed President of the United States, Joe Biden. These auspicious interactions materialized in the form of an official State visit by PM Modi to the hallowed halls of Washington in the month of June, followed by a bilateral tête-à-tête in the bustling heart of Delhi in the month of September. USCIRF, in its sagacious wisdom, has deemed it apropos to orchestrate a Congressional hearing, the overarching objective of which is to explore the mechanisms through which the government of the United States can effectively collaborate with the government of India in addressing and redressing perceived infractions on the frontiers of religious freedom.
The roster of distinguished witnesses summoned to grace this august occasion is nothing short of illustrious. Foremost among them is Fernand de Varennes, a luminary in the realm of international affairs and the esteemed United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues. Joining him in this symphony of erudition is Tariq Ahmed, a Foreign Law Specialist hailing from the eminent Law Library of Congress. Sarah Yager, a luminary occupying the esteemed position of Washington Director at Human Rights Watch, will also lend her insights. Sunita Viswanath, a figure of consequence and the executive director of Hindus for Human Rights, is poised to share her perspective. Lastly, but by no means least, Irfan Nooruddin, a beacon of knowledge in the domain of Indian Politics, and a professor of the subject at the illustrious Georgetown University, will also grace the dais with his presence.
The State visit of Prime Minister Modi to the hallowed grounds of Washington, D.C., served as a potent symbol and a living testament to the profound and enduring nature of the bilateral relationship that binds the United States and India in an unbreakable bond. However, casting a somber shadow over this diplomatic pageantry, looms a disquieting specter of events that have unfolded over the past decade within the precincts of the Indian polity. The Indian government’s legislative and executive actions, characterized by a distinct discriminatory bent, have come under the stern scrutiny of the USCIRF. This disapprobation has manifested in the form of anti-conversion laws, stringent regulations governing cow slaughter, preferential citizenship considerations predicated upon religious affiliation, and stringent curbs on foreign financial infusion into civil society organizations.
A disconcerting trend that has emerged on the Indian landscape is the outbreak of sporadic violence, pitting Hindus against Muslims in the hinterlands of Haryana in the sweltering heat of July. Concurrently, targeted assaults have been perpetrated against the Christian and Jewish minority communities in the region of Manipur, casting a long shadow of concern and underscoring the urgent necessity for novel strategies aimed at attenuating the scourge of violence directed at religious minorities within the Indian milieu.
The discerning eye of the USCIRF has not remained idle, and since the year 2020, it has been steadfast in recommending that the hallowed halls of the United States Department of State designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) owing to its alleged engagement in systematic, continuous, and egregious contraventions of the sacred tenets enshrined within the sphere of religious freedom.
As this momentous hearing unfolds, the pantheon of witnesses will expound upon a multiplicity of themes, ranging from a deep dive into the labyrinthine legal framework that underpins the Indian government’s policies, all the way to an elucidation of the contemporary landscape of religious freedom. They will proffer a smorgasbord of policy prescriptions, serving as a veritable cornucopia for the United States to contemplate and potentially employ in its collaborative endeavor with India to combat the perceived infringements on religious freedom and the attendant human rights violations that have captured the attention of the world.
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