Washington DC, 25 June 2022 (TDI): The Democratic US Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives condemning human rights violations in India.
According to the US Congress website, the focal point of the Resolution is the violations of the International religious freedom of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and other religious minorities in the Indian State.
This Resolution calls the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken to entitle India as a ‘country of particular concern.’
The Resolution
Furthermore, the Resolution introduced by Minnesota’s Congresswoman was co-sponsored by the lawmakers Rashida Tlaib, Jim McGovern, and Juan Vargas.
According to the Resolution, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urges the Biden Government to declare India as a country of particular concern for three consecutive years.
In addition, this Resolution also condemns the rights violations of religious and ethnic minorities in India.
Further, the Resolution is based on USCIRF’s 2022 annual report on how the Hindu-Nationalist-backed Indian Government policies negatively impacted the religious and cultural minorities.
According to the Resolution, the report also highlights the use of laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act that create a climate of intimidation.
The report also outlines the cases of the Indian Government’s repression of religious leaders, including Khurram Parvez, a Muslim human rights advocate.
Earlier, the report by USCIRF also states the 2021 attacks on numerous religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians. Several government officials particularly incited these attacks on homes and businesses.
Background of Indian Condemnation
The Resolution comes after two months of the personal visit of the Congresswoman to Pakistan, which was condemned by the Indian authorities.
During her stay in April, she has meeting with the former Prime Minister of Pakistan and visited Azad Kashmir. Currently, the resolution is receiving criticism from India.
Meanwhile, the Official Spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, condemned this visit and said and referred to it as narrow-minded politics.
Current Status of the Resolution
After being agreed upon in the House on 21 June, the Resolution condemning human rights violations and violations of international religious freedom in India has now been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
