'Misguided' criticism: Indian Minorities Foundation rebukes US religious watchdog's report
'Misguided' criticism: Indian Minorities Foundation rebukes US religious watchdog's report
NEW DELHI: The Indian Minorities Foundation (IMF) on Thursday strongly condemned the USCIRF's International Religious Freedom report on India, accusing the religious watchdog of attempting to distort India's global image by likening the Indian government to "authoritarian regimes" like Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, Russia, and China. As a result, the IMF asserted that the religious watchdog overlooked India’s democratic framework, vibrant civil society, and pluralism.
In a letter condemning the USCIRF's report, the IMF stated, "USCIRF's efforts to label India alongside authoritarian regimes like Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, Russia, and China overlook India's democratic framework, vibrant civil society, and pluralistic history. This mischaracterization undermines USCIRF's credibility and understanding of India's religious freedom landscape."
Responding to USCIRF's 2023 report, which recommended India as a "country of particular concern," the NGO questioned whether the USCIRF was acting as an "agent of conflict" or an "instrument of harmony."
It said that the USCIRF’s value judgments on religious freedom have no respect for India’s unity and territorial integrity. It also pointed out that since 2020, the USCIRF has consistently attempted to designated India Country of Particular Concern, or CPC.
The NGO, pointing to the religious watchdog's comments on Kashmir in the context of Article 370, said, "The move was upheld by the Indian Supreme Court, reflecting its constitutionality, while the Indian Election Commission has already started the process of holding elections in the region as a step towards restoring statehood." The NGO also accused the religious watchdog of falsely framing the Khalistani issue as one of "religious freedom."
Maintaining that the US State Department had not endorsed the view of the religious watchdog, the Indian Minorities Foundation added, "The USCIRF's claims do not align with the on-ground reality and a nuanced understanding of India's commitment to religious freedom and democratic values."
The USCIRF's misdirected activism on religious freedom in India seems to be a case of American diplomacy making a mistake reminiscent of the early years of the Second World War when the fighter aircraft of the Allied forces failed to distinguish "friend" from "foe," the letter by the NGO read.
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