U.S. lawmakers urge Modi to take action on religious violence
"Of particular concern is the treatment of India’s Christian, Muslim and Sikh communities," the lawmakers –several of them consistently pro-India -- have written to the PM.
Eight U.S. Senators and 26 members of the U.S. House of
Representatives have raised “grave concerns about the increasing
intolerance and violence experienced by members of…religious minority
communities,” in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing
threats to Christians in Chhattisgarh and vigilantism over beef that has
led to the murder of four Muslims.
Applauding
India’s commitment to pluralism and tolerance, and reminding the PM that
he had promised to ensure complete religious freedom in the country,
the lawmakers urged him to “turn these words into action by publicly
condemning” such violence.
“Of particular concern is
the treatment of India’s Christian, Muslim and Sikh communities,” the
lawmakers –several of them consistently pro-India -- have written to the
PM. “Our strong support of this partnership encourages us to relay our
grave concerns.” The lawmakers said they were also concerned about the
lack of recognition of Sikhism as a distinct religion.
The Modi’s government’s drive against civil society organisations
receiving foreign donations in India has been an irritant in bilateral
relations for sometime now. The lawmakers’ letter on religious violence,
specifically naming Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal that share
the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) ideological universe with Mr.
Modi, could be potentially embarrassing for the PM. Mr. Modi will be in
the U.S. on March 31 and April 1, to attend the nuclear security summit
being convened by President Barack Obama. The letter also comes against
the backdrop of the Centre’s unprecedented steamrolling of political
dissent in the country, which is increasingly a talking point in the
U.S. capital.
“On June 17th, 2014, more than 50
village councils in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh adopted a
resolution banning all “non-Hindu religious propaganda, prayers, and
speeches” in their communities. The Christian minority community has
been dramatically affected: the ban effectively has criminalised the
practice of Christianity for an estimated 300 Christian families in the
region one day after a mob, which included members of the Vishva Hindu
Parishad and Bajrang Dal, seriously injured six Christians in the
village of Sirciguda. Since the ban was implemented, Christians in the
Bastar District reportedly have been subjected to physical assaults,
denial of government services, extortion, threats of forced expulsion,
denial of access to food and water, and pressure to convert to
Hinduism,” the letter said.
“We also are concerned
that the nearly country-wide beef ban is increasing tensions and
encouraging vigilante violence against the Indian Muslim community. On
Monday, November 2nd, a Hindu mob killed Mohammed Hasmat Ali, a married
father of three, in Manipur, India, after he was accused of stealing a
cow. Mr. Ali reportedly is the fourth Muslim murdered in just six weeks
by Hindu mobs angered over allegations of cows being slaughtered or
stolen. We understand that the September 28th murder of 52-year-old
Mohammed Saif in Uttar Pradesh sparked a national outcry over rising
intolerance toward religious minorities which culminated in hundreds of
prominent academics, business leaders, and authors protesting.”
“We want to raise additional concerns about the lack of recognition of
Sikhism as a distinct religion, which prevents members of the community
from accessing social services and employment and educational
preferences available to other religious communities. Sikh community
members reportedly are harassed and pressured to reject religious
practices and beliefs distinct to Sikhism. On October 14, security
forces killed two Sikhs and injured scores of others in Punjab who were
protesting peacefully against the desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib,
Sikhism's holy book,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Mr.
Prime Minister, we applaud India as a pluralistic society with a
long-standing commitment to inclusion and tolerance. We also applaud
your statements about religious freedom and communal harmony, including
your promise in February 2014 that your government would “ensure that
there is complete freedom of faith…and not allow any religious group,
belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against
others.” We urge you to turn these words into action by publicly
condemning the ban on non-Hindu faiths in the Bastar District of
Chhattisgarh, and the violent assaults and other forms of harassment
against religious minorities throughout India. We also urge you to take
steps to control the activities of groups, such as the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and instruct Indian security forces to enforce
the rule of law and protect religious minority communities from
religiously-motivated harassment and violence.
Such
steps would demonstrate your government’s commitment to fostering a
stable and inclusive society and respecting international obligations on
the rights of religious minorities, including religious freedom.”
“We await your response,” the letter concluded.
Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Al Franken (D-MN),
James Lankford (R-OK), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Tim Scott (R-SC) and
Representatives Keith Ellison (D-MI), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Brad Wenstrup
(R-OH), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Trey Gowdy (R-SC),
Juan Vargas (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Betty
McCollum (D-MN), Mark Walker (R-NC), Doug Collins (R-GA), Tim Walberg
(R-MI), Ted Poe (R-TX), Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Conyers, (D-MI) have
signed the letter.
