May 1, 2010: The US government watchdog on religious freedom for the second consecutive year has placed India on its Watch List.

Releasing its annual report, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Thursday recommended that India along with countries such as Afghanistan, Belarus, Indonesia be put on Watch List for close monitoring of serious violations of religious freedom.

USCIRF placed India on its Watch List for the first time in 2009 when it condemned the government's largely inadequate response in protecting religious minorities in the aftermath of the Kandhamal violence.

Prior to that, until the 2004 election of the Congress Party, India was placed under "countries of particular concern," or CPCs under which falls Burma, China, North Korea and Pakistan.

The bipartisan body in its latest report noted that "India's progress in protecting and promoting religious freedom during the past year was mixed" and "justice for victims of communal violence was slow and often ineffective, thereby perpetuating a climate of impunity."

Among its numerous policy recommendations, USCIRF urged the US government to integrate concern for religious freedom and related human rights into all bilateral contacts with India, and for the US ambassador to India to speak out against, and seek to visit sites of, communal violence.

Each year, USCIRF delegations visit a number of foreign countries to examine the facts and circumstances on the ground for religious freedom. In the case of India, USCIRF says no visas were granted.

The federal government commission, appointed by the US President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives, urged the US government to address the need for strengthening of law enforcement and judiciary in India.

It underlined the need for India to "strengthen the ability of the state and central police and other law enforcement bodies to provide effective measures to prohibit and punish cases of religious violence, and protect victims and witnesses."

In addition to that, it said the Indian government must ensure that the state and central police and other law enforcement agencies have the training and resources necessary to avert future communal violence. Also, they must be provided with training on human rights and religious freedom standards and practices.

Incidentally, in November 2009, USCIRF wrote to President Obama urging him to raise religious freedom concerns when meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The letter, while noting the stated commitment of the Prime Minister's Congress Party to religious tolerance, called attention to the Indian government's inadequate responses to violence against religious minority communities, including Christians in Orissa in 2008 and Muslims in Gujarat in 2002. (by Dibin Samuel, CT)