Washington: The United States Monday denounced continuing “targeted” attacks against Muslims and other minorities in India that are outlined in its 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken released the report, noting both advancement and “continuation, and in some cases, the rise of very troubling trends.” It is seen as a blow to India’s standing in the international community as it prepares to hold G-20 meetings across the country, including in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Fernand de Varennes, the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, said in Geneva that by hosting the G20 Working Group on Tourism Meeting in Srinagar from May 22–24, the Indian government was attempting to normalise what some have referred to as a military occupation.
In a statement released on Monday, Varennes detailed the widespread human rights abuses that have occurred since the suspension of democratic rights and the local elections with direct rule from New Delhi on August 6, 2019. These abuses include torture, extrajudicial killings, and denial of political participation rights to minorities and Muslims in Kashmir.
Similarly, a senior State Department official is also reported to have told reporters, “We’ll continue to speak directly with our colleagues and counterparts in India regarding these concerns.”
He added, “What we outline in today’s (religious freedom) report is a targeted – continued targeted attacks against religious communities, including Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindu Dalits, and indigenous communities; dehumanizing rhetoric, including open calls for genocide against Muslims; lynching and other hate-fueled violence, attacks on houses of worship and home demolitions, and in some cases impunity and even clemency for those who’ve engaged in attacks on religious minorities – we’re also continuing to see, at the state level, some restrictions on religious attire.”
“We’re continuing to encourage the government to condemn violence and hold accountable and protect all groups who engage in rhetoric that’s dehumanizing towards religious minorities and all groups who engage in violence against religious communities and other communities in India.”
The State Department’s annual report has been critical of the state of religious freedom in India before, and, based on local news reports and accounts from civil society, it has listed numerous instances and cases of violations over the years.
