Washington, The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has, for the fourth consecutive year, recommended to the US State Department that India be designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) regarding religious freedom. This recommendation, highlighted in the USCIRF’s 2023 annual report, points to deteriorating conditions for religious minorities in India, accusing the nation of engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, particularly against Muslims and other minority groups.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the USCIRF, a bipartisan federal body dedicated to evaluating and documenting religious freedom violations globally, has underscored the worsening situation in India throughout 2022. The designation as a CPC carries significant implications, including the potential for economic sanctions, as it marks a government’s failure to protect religious freedoms as outlined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).

The report elaborates on the various forms of discrimination and violence faced by religious minorities in India, emphasizing the critical state of religious freedom in the country. Moreover, the USCIRF expressed grave concerns regarding India’s role in transnational repression, targeting political and human rights activists, journalists, and members of religious and ethnic minorities. This includes extreme measures such as detention, family reprisals, kidnapping, and even assassinations.