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India has always been a very tolerant and respectful country for all religions. Trump administration officials said, US is “very concerned” about India’s religious freedom. India has rejected US religious freedom report in the past and said it sees no locus standi for a froeign government to pronounce on the state of its citizens constitutionally protected rights.
The Ambassador-At-Large for International Religious Freedom, Samuel Brownback came after releasing the “2019 International Religious Freedom Report” on Wednesday.
It is mandated by the US Congress to release the report. The report is documented with the major instances of the violation considering religious freedom across the world and it was released by the State Department by the Secretary of State Mike Pompoe.
Brownback had a phone call with foreign journalist on Wednesday, he said that India has been spawned four major religions.
He said “We do remain very concerned about what's taking place in India. It's historically just been a very tolerant, respectful country of religions, of all religions”
The cause that is bothering the trendlines in India is religious subcontinent and there could be more communal violence, said Brownback.
Brownback responded to a question stating his view that the minority faiths can't be blamed for the COVID-19 spread. They should instead be helped with food, healthcare and medicines during the crisis.
Previously Prime Minster Narendra Modi criticized any form of discrimination as COVID-19 pandemic equally affects everyone.
In February, he said via LinkedIn “COVID-19 does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or border before striking. Our response and conduct thereafter should attach primacy to unity and brotherhood”
The US Department saw the India Chapter of the report where it showed the religiously motivated killings, assaults, riots, discrimination. There are also restrictions of the right of individuals to practice and speak about religious beliefs.
In between 2008 to 2017, there were 7484 incidents of communal violence and 1,100 people were killed, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The US annual religious freedom report was accepted by The Federation of Indian American Christian Organization in a statement. President of the organization said that the list of incidents in reports are affecting the rights of people to believe and practice their faiths. There are such thousands of incidents that took place in India during the reporting period.
By Ramya C
