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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) regrets that
visas have not been issued by the Indian government for
a USCIRF visit to discuss religious freedom conditions
with officials, religious leaders, civil society
activists and others in the world's largest democracy.
As a U.S. government body, visits by the Commission must
have official status. USCIRF obtained U.S. State
Department support, made travel arrangements, and
requested meetings with a variety of officials. Despite
this, the Indian government did not issue the USCIRF
delegation visas. The Commissioners were to have left
the United States on June 12.
The aim of the long-requested trip was to discuss
religious freedom conditions in India, home to a
multitude of religious communities that have
historically co-existed. India has experienced an
increase in communal violence against religious
communities in recent years and the USCIRF Commissioners
sought to discuss the Indian government's responses to
this, and its development of preventive strategies at
the local and national levels. According to information
before USCIRF, the Indian justice system has prosecuted
only a handful of persons responsible for communal
violence and related abuses since the mid 1980s.
In 2002, USCIRF recommended India be designated a
"Country of Particular Concern" (CPC) following events
in Gujarat that resulted in an estimated 2,000 deaths.
Although India was removed from the CPC list in 2005,
USCIRF has continued to monitor, report, and comment
publicly on events in the country, including last year's
violence in Orissa, attacks in Mumbai, and other events.
The Indian government did not offer alternative dates
for a visit. USCIRF first tried to obtain visas for
India in 2001. This would have been the Commission's
first visit to India. India joins Cuba as the only other
nation to have refused all USCIRF requests to visit.
"We are particularly disappointed by the new Indian
government's refusal to facilitate an official U.S.
delegation to discuss religious freedom issues and
government measures to counter communal violence, which
has a religious component," said Commission chair Felice
D. Gaer. "Our Commission has visited China, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, and over 20 other countries. India, a
close ally of the United States, has been unique among
democracies in delaying and denying USCIRF's ability to
visit. USCIRF has been requesting visits since 2001.”
USCIRF issues its annual report on religious freedom
each May and this year's India section was delayed
because of the planned USCIRF trip. "We wanted to hear
from all sectors of Indian society, and allow these
diverse perspectives to shape our report," said Gaer. In
the absence of incountry travel, USCIRF will release a
report on India later this summer.
USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal
government commission. USCIRF Commissioners are
appointed by the President and the leadership of both
political parties in the Senate and the House of
Representatives. USCIRF's principal responsibilities are
to review the facts and circumstances of violations of
religious freedom internationally and to make policy
recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State
and Congress.
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