USCIRF Urges US to Label India as Country of Particular Concern
A group from the United States has asked the US government to speak to India about protecting religious minorities. The group says attacks against Christians and Muslims have increased. It says some Hindu groups have been involved in these attacks.
The group is called the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, or USCIRF. In a statement this week, it said violence against Christians has grown in the last two months. It said that in January, many incidents happened in different parts of India.
USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler talked about one case in Odisha. She said a Christian pastor named Bipin Bihari Naik was attacked while praying inside a house on Sunday. The group said the attackers accused him of forcing people to change their religion and treated him badly.
Hartzler said these kinds of attacks show why USCIRF wants the US government to label India as a “Country of Particular Concern.” This label is used for countries where religious freedom is seriously harmed.
The commission said the Odisha case was not the only one. It said there have been many cases of trouble, damage to homes, and violence against religious minorities. In Maharashtra, it said the homes of four Christian families were destroyed after they refused to change their religion. In Andhra Pradesh, it said a vehicle carrying Christian believers was attacked and the people inside were hurt.
The report also mentioned another case in February in Chhattisgarh. It said a group attacked Muslim homes after claims that a temple had been disrespected.
USCIRF Vice Chair Asif Mahmood said claims of forced religious conversion are often used by local groups to excuse violence and unfair arrests. He said he is worried because some Indian states have made stricter laws about conversion. He explained that these laws make it easier for people to be punished unfairly.
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Mahmood also spoke about the arrest of 12 Muslim men in Uttar Pradesh. He said they were arrested for praying inside a private house. He added that in some states, people found guilty under these laws can face very serious punishment.
In its 2025 yearly report, USCIRF again asked the US government to name India a Country of Particular Concern. The group said this is because of ongoing and serious problems with religious freedom. It also shared a new update and held a meeting in January to talk about problems faced by Christians in India.
India’s government has earlier rejected such reports. It has said that foreign comments on its human rights situation are unfair and interfere in its own matters.
The USCIRF report highlights growing concerns over religious freedom in India. The call to label India as a Country of Particular Concern reflects the commission’s view that minority communities face serious threats from violence, demolitions, and restrictive laws.
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