By TCN News,
Conveying their serious concern over violence against religious minorities in India, 34 top American lawmakers that include Eight U.S. Senators and 26 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take immediate steps to protect their fundamental rights and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“We urge your government to take immediate steps to ensure that the fundamental rights of religious minorities are protected and that the perpetrators of violence are held to account,” said February 25 letter written by lawmakers to the Prime Minister Modi.
The letter is issued by US lawmakers on the backdrop of Amnesty International’s annual report that criticized India for growing religious intolerance.
Reminding Modi of his February 2015 statement that his government will not “accept violence against any religion on any pretext”, the lawmakers urged Modi to turn words into deeds by taking steps to enforce the rule of law and protect communities from ‘religiously-motivated’ harassment and violence.
Applauding India’s commitment to pluralism and tolerance, and reminding Modi that he had promised to ensure complete religious freedom, the lawmakers urged him to “turn these words into action by publicly condemning” such violence.
The lawmakers’ letter on religious violence, specifically names Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal and asked control activities of such groups including of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).
“We also urge you to take steps to control the activities of groups, such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and instruct Indian security forces to enforce the rule of law and protect religious minority communities from religiously- motivated harassment and violence,” the letter said.
“On June 17th, 2014, more than 50 village councils in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh adopted a resolution banning all non-Hindu religious propaganda, prayers, and speeches in their communities,” the letter said, adding that the Christian minority community has been dramatically affected.
“The ban effectively has criminalised the practice of Christianity for an estimated 300 Christian families in the region one day after a mob, which included members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, seriously injured six Christians in the village of Sirciguda”, the lawmakers alleged adding,”Since the ban was implemented, Christians in the Bastar District reportedly have been subjected to physical assaults, denial of government services, extortion, threats of forced expulsion, denial of access to food and water, and pressure to convert to Hinduism”.
Lawmakers also expressed concern over beef ban in India and said this is increasing tensions and encouraging vigilante violence against the Muslim community.
“We also are concerned that the nearly country-wide beef ban is increasing tensions and encouraging vigilante violence against the Indian Muslim community. On Monday, November 2nd, a Hindu mob killed Mohammed Hasmat Ali, a married father of three, in Manipur, India, after he was accused of stealing a cow. Mr. Ali reportedly is the fourth Muslim murdered in just six weeks by Hindu mobs angered over allegations of cows being slaughtered or stolen. We understand that the September 28th murder of 52-year-old Mohammed Saif in Uttar Pradesh sparked a national outcry over rising intolerance toward religious minorities which culminated in hundreds of prominent academics, business leaders, and authors protesting,” the letter reads.
They also raised additional concerns about the lack of recognition of Sikhism as a distinct religion which prevents members of the community from accessing social services and employment and educational preferences available to other religious communities.
“We urge you to turn these words into action by publicly condemning the ban on non-Hindu faiths in the Bastar District of Chhattisgarh, and the violent assaults and other forms of harassment against religious minorities throughout India,” lawmakers said before concluding that such implementation by his (Modi’s) government would demonstrate commitment to fostering a stable and inclusive society and respecting international obligations on the rights of religious minorities.
Senators: Roy Blunt (R-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Al Franken (D-MN), James Lankford (R-OK), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Tim Scott (R-SC) and
Representatives: Keith Ellison (D-MI), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Mark Walker (R-NC), Doug Collins (R-GA), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Ted Poe (R-TX), Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Conyers, (D-MI) have signed the February 25 letter.