29

Aug

Modi Govt Again on Confrontation Course With Body On Religious Freedom 

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Prof.  Pradeep Mathur 

New Delhi | Saturday | August 29, 2026

The U.S. Congress body on religious freedom has again blamed the Modi government of supressing the eligious minorities in India. Whether its Co Chair Nadine Maenza, a proud Christian by her own admission and a President Trump favourite, has done it at the prompting of Trump to put pressure on India or it genuinely feels so  is a matter of conjecture. However, the Modi Government is greatly cut up because Nadine Maenza has targeted the RSS and its chief Mohan Bhagwat this time. Coupled with the persistent attacks by Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders on the RSS, the ideological spring source of the BJP and alma Mata leaders, the   USCIRF move is deeply embarrassing for Prime Minister Modi.


For seven consecutive years, USCIRF has recommended that the U.S. State Department designate India a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) because of what it describes as severe violations of religious freedom. The Indian government has repeatedly rejected USCIRF’s assessments as biased. Yet the commission says its conclusions are based on research, hearings and testimony from people belonging to different religious communities.

The USCIRF has criticised India’s anti-conversion laws, arguing that although they are ostensibly religion-neutral, they have disproportionately affected minorities seeking to change their faith. It has also raised concerns about the Citizenship Amendment Act, particularly when considered alongside a nationwide National Register of Citizens, warning of the possible exclusion of large numbers of Indian Muslims.


Its 2026 report went further by identifying the RSS itself in connection with alleged severe violations of religious freedom and recommending targeted sanctions against certain officials.

The USCIRF feels that the RSS is not merely an organisation criticised by journalists or advocacy groups. It is the ideological parent of the BJP, which is governing now India for more than a decade. Now when RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat is on a visit to the U.S. the USCIRF has asked him to be prepared to engage directly with those who have documented a very different picture of religious minorities in India . Nadine says that that such a dialogue  is especially needed as Mohan Bhagwat wishes to present the RSS to American audiences as a force for unity and harmony .

New York’s young and firebrand  Mayor Zohran Mamdani , a Socialist by conviction and  son of Muslim-Hindu parents of Indian origin, is openly opposing Mohan Bhagwat’s  visit . If he had his way perhaps he would not have allowed it.k

Bhagwat is being asked to  meet with representatives of Indian American communities of Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Dalit organisations   that have expressed concerns about Hindutva politics in India .  Since religious freedom cannot be a partisan issue a programme during Bhagwat’s visit that consists only of friendly audiences will not be taken as a dialogue on unity. If he avoids listening to uncomfortable voices, it will neither be a dialogue nor a unity tour.

For seven consecutive years, USCIRF has recommended that the U.S. State Department designate India a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) because of what it describes as severe violations of religious freedom. The Indian government has repeatedly rejected USCIRF’s assessments as biased. Yet the commission says its conclusions are based on research, hearings and testimony from people belonging to different religious communities.


The USCIRF has criticised India’s anti-conversion laws, arguing that although they are ostensibly religion-neutral, they have disproportionately affected minorities seeking to change their faith. It has also raised concerns about the Citizenship Amendment Act, particularly when considered alongside a nationwide National Register of Citizens, warning of the possible exclusion of large numbers of Indian Muslims.


Its 2026 report went further by identifying the RSS itself in connection with alleged severe violations of religious freedom and recommending targeted sanctions against certain officials.

The USCIRF feels that the RSS is not merely an organisation criticised by journalists or advocacy groups. It is the ideological parent of the BJP, which is governing now India for more than a decade. If Bhagwat wishes to present the RSS to American audiences as a force for unity and harmony, he should be prepared to engage directly with those who have documented a very different picture.


In the United States concerns about the treatment of religious minorities in India are not confined to a single incident. Reports of attacks on Christians, demolitions of mosques and madrasas, communal violence and discrimination have continued to generate debate and concern in various sections of American society.


There is, therefore, a simple challenge for Mohan Bhagwat during his American visit: meet USCIRF commissioners, listen to their findings and respond to them face to face.If the RSS wants  to correct what it considers misconceptions about the organisation, such a meeting would be an opportunity for Mohan Bhagwat to assert his viewpoint with  confidence rather than be on the defensive.

(A veteran journalist and Media guru, Prof Pradeep Mathur is Editor of Mediamap and Chairman of MBKM Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation for voluntary social work)
 

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