India Faces International Scrutiny as Religious Violence Escalates

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called on the US government to pressure Indian authorities to hold accountable those responsible for rising violence against religious minorities. The advisory body cited an increase in attacks by Hindu nationalist mobs targeting Christians and Muslims, including assaults, home demolitions, and arrests related to alleged religious conversions.

USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler highlighted an incident in Odisha where Pastor Bipin Bihari Naik was attacked during Sunday prayers, accused of forced conversions, and forced to eat cow dung. Similar incidents have occurred across Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, including arson, beatings, and demolition of Christian and Muslim homes.

Vice Chair Asif Mahmood noted that anti-conversion laws and low evidentiary standards have intensified risks for minorities, citing the arrest of 12 Muslims in Uttar Pradesh for praying at a private home. USCIRF recommended that the US Department of State designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” for its systematic violations of religious freedom, a recommendation the Indian government has rejected.