More than 300 Christian leaders in the United States, including denominational leaders, are calling on the U.S. State Department to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” amid escalating violations of religious freedoms, especially against Christians.

A letter sent earlier this month responds to increasing violence and systemic persecution under the Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The signatories include a wide range of church leaders from various denominations, with 18 bishops, three archbishops and numerous clergy and leaders from theological schools and Christian organizations.

The leaders say the persecution of religious minorities in India has worsened considerably since Modi’s regime began in 2014. The letter marks the first concerted effort by U.S. Christian leaders to address religious persecution in India.

“This surge in violence is propelled by a Hindu ethno-nationalist or Hindutva supremacist political ideology, which conflates a militant Hindu ideology with Indian citizen identities,” reads the letter. “As a result, both the Hindu religion and India’s Constitutional secular democracy have been severely distorted, leading to alarming levels of state-sanctioned violence against Christians, lower-caste Dalits, and other religious minorities both on the streets and within state structures.”

The letter, organized by the Federation of Indian-American Christian Organizations in North America, refers to a January 2024 petition signed by more than 3,000 ecumenical Christian leaders in India, condemning the Indian government’s alleged state-sanctioned human rights abuses against religious minorities.

Citing a report by the United Christian Forum, the letter notes a drastic rise in attacks on Christians, from 127 incidents in 2014 to 720 in 2023.

The persecution has led to over 65,000 people being displaced in Manipur and more than 400 churches being destroyed or damaged as of May 2023, the letter points out. Another report from Chhattisgarh noted over 2,500 Christians were forcibly displaced between December 2022 and February 2023 due to their refusal to convert to Hinduism.

Showing the severity of the situation, the letter draws on international rankings such as the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern, which places India as the third-worst persecutor of Christians globally.

The letter’s signatories call on the State Department to take several actions, including the designation of India as a CPC under the International Religious Freedom Act. Countries designated as a CPC face the possibility of negative consequences, including potential crippling sanctions.

The Christian leaders urge the State Department to hold Indian government officials accountable for violations of religious freedoms, consider targeted sanctions and support independent religious and human rights organizations both in India and the U.S.

The letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken argues that the U.S. silence on these issues contrasts sharply with its geopolitical alliance with India and urges the State Department not to ignore these severe violations.

“The Indian government has cut off funding to hundreds of Christian schools and hospitals which have educated and cared for all people regardless of caste or religion,” the letter notes. “International support is severed by draconian application of India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, impacting thousands of internationally respected organizations such as Amnesty International, Compassion International, World Vision and Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. This leaves Indian Christians isolated, fearful and precarious.”

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticized the Indian government for advocating violence against minorities with impunity. The letter also refers to the “anti-conversion” legislation enforced in at least 10 Indian states that criminalize religious conversion, resulting in the arrest of thousands of Christians.

In January, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan commission that advises the federal government and Congress on international religious freedom matters, criticized the State Department for its refusal to include India and Nigeria on the CPC list.

“We met with the State Department on many occasions to sound the alarm about these countries, but not all of our recommendations have been followed,” then-USCIRF Chair Abraham Cooper and Vice Chair Frederick A. Davie said in a January statement.

In its annual international religious freedom report, the State Department addressed concerns about religious freedom in India. During a press conference in June to launch this year’s report, Blinken discussed the “concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, and demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities” in India. The report stated that at least 10 of India’s 28 states have passed policies that restrict “religious conversions for all faiths.”

“Christian communities reported that local police aided mobs that disrupted worship services over accusations of conversion activities or stood by while mobs attacked them and then arrested the victims on conversion charges,” U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain said at the press conference.
Sources:Christian Post

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The enforcement of Uttar Pradesh’s law against illegal religious conversions has led to significant legal action, but cases continue to emerge. The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act was incepted in 2020, and the law came into action in the year 2021. Since 2020, the state has registered 835 cases of illegal conversions, resulting in the arrest of 1,682 individuals as of July 31, 2024. The most significant actions have been reported in the Ghaziabad Commissionerate, Ambedkarnagar, Bhadohi, Saharanpur, and Shahjahanpur.

Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar stated that senior officers were closely monitoring the investigations into these cases to ensure thorough scrutiny and enforcement. As part of the ongoing crackdown on illegal religious conversions in the state, the investigation is still active in 17 cases, according to Kumar. He emphasised that police officers had been directed to act based on solid evidence, ensuring that those who used allurement and illegal means for conversion would not be spared. Action will be taken against them, he said.

To date, chargesheets have been filed in approximately 98% of the cases, amounting to around 818 cases, with 17 cases still under investigation. In total, 2,708 individuals have been named across the 835 cases. Authorities have exonerated 124 individuals who were found to have no involvement, while 70 others have surrendered to the courts. Four cases have already resulted in convictions.

DGP Kumar stated that measures were in place to ensure no innocent person was wrongfully harassed. “All cases related to the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act are being closely monitored at the headquarters level,” he further added.

In one notable case, Sitapur resident Jubrail, who was booked under the law in December last year, remains absconding, with his properties recently confiscated. Conversely, Afzal from Amroha has been sentenced to five years in prison and fined Rs 40,000.

Additionally, a recent case involves a Muslim woman from Lucknow who accused her husband Ashraf, a shrine head in Karnataka, of engaging in a love jihad campaign under the anti-conversion laws. This case has been transferred to Bengaluru for further investigation. Another case involves a couple, along with Brazilian tourists, who were charged with compelling people to convert to Christianity in Sitapur.

The government-aided Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Science (SHUATS) in Prayagraj also faced legal challenges. The Fatehpur police have filed an FIR against eight university officials, including the vice-chancellor and two pro-vice-chancellors, for criminal conspiracy and violations under the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. The case has further intensified the scrutiny surrounding the university.
Sources:christiansworldnews

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ഹരിയാനയിലെ സര്‍ക്കാര്‍ സ്കൂളുകളില്‍ സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യദിനം മുതൽ ‘ഗുഡ് മോണിങ്’ പറയുന്നതിന് പകരം ഇനി മുതൽ ‘ജയ് ഹിന്ദ്’ മതിയെന്ന് സർക്കാർ. ഇതിനായി വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ വകുപ്പ് സർക്കുലറും പുറത്തിറക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.. വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളിൽ ദേശസ്നേഹം വളർത്തുന്നതിനായാണ് തീരുമാനം എന്നാണ് സർക്കാരിന്റെ വാദം.

വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളിൽ ദേശീയ ഐക്യവും സമ്പന്നമായ ഇന്ത്യയുടെ ചരിത്രത്തോടുള്ള ആദരവും വർദ്ധിക്കും.എല്ലാദിവസവും പറയുന്നതോടെ ഇത് പ്രചോദിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുമെന്ന് വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ ഡയറക്ടറേറ്റ് പുറത്തിറക്കിയ സർക്കുലറിൽ പറയുന്നു.

കുട്ടികൾക്കിടയിൽ ആഴത്തിൽ ദേശസ്നേഹവും ദേശീയതയെ കുറിച്ചുള്ള അഭിമാനവും വളർത്തുന്നതിന് ആണ് ഗുഡ്മോണിങ് പറയുന്നതിന് പകരം ജയ് ഹിന്ദ് മതിയെന്ന് തീരുമാനം എടുത്തിരിക്കുന്നത്. സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യ സമരകാലത്ത് നേതാജി സുഭാഷ് ചന്ദ്രബോസ് ആവിഷ്കരിച്ചതാണ് ജയ്ഹിന്ദ് എന്ന പദം .പിന്നീട് സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യത്തിനുശേഷം സായുധസേന ഇത് സ്വീകരിച്ചു.
Sources:azchavattomonline.com

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