US religious freedom commission calls for India to be listed as ‘country of particular concern’

WASHINGTON: The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has once again urged the US State Department to declare India a “country of particular concern,” citing its 2026 assessment and hearing over “ongoing, systematic, and egregious religious freedom conditions” in the country. The issue was examined during an in-person hearing in Washington on Thursday, where commissioners, lawmakers, scholars, and legal experts shared their views on conditions faced by religious minorities in India, including Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and Dalits, as well as allegations of growing transnational repression targeting critics abroad. USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler said India’s trajectory on religious freedom had continued to decline. She stated: “Our 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF once again recommended that the State Department designate India as a ‘country of particular concern’ for its ongoing, systematic, and egregious religious freedom conditions.” Hartzler added that under the current political environment, “The Indian government, at both the national, state and local levels, continues to facilitate and tolerate religious freedom violations through the use of discriminatory legislation, arbitrary detention of religious leaders, and failure to intervene in attacks against religious minority communities.” She also highlighted the legal framework affecting conversions and security laws, saying: “As of 2026, 13 out of 28 Indian states now have and enforce strict anti-conversion laws,” noting, “These laws also include harsh punishments—in some cases, life imprisonment—for those deemed to have facilitated or conducted religious conversions from Hinduism to another religion.” USCIRF Vice Chair Asif Mahmood, in his written observation, focused on what he described as growing transnational repression and pressure on religious communities and their institutions beyond India’s borders. “The Indian government has also targeted religious minorities and advocates beyond