Washington, DC.
The Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations (FIACONA) welcomes the Annual Religious Freedom Report by State Department Released today.
According to the US State Department, “ there were reports of religiously motivated killings, assaults, riots, discrimination, vandalism, and actions restricting the right of individuals to practice and speak about their religious beliefs. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) data, 7,484 incidents of communal violence took place between 2008 and 2017 in which more than 1,100 people were killedâ€.
FIACONA finds the list of incidents affecting the right of the people to believe and practice their faiths as reported to be accurate though there are a few more thousand such incidents that have taken place in India during the reporting period.
The fact that India prides herself as a democratic state makes it even more critical for her to behave like one respecting the fundamental rights of every citizen and not undermine any sections of the society.
The President of FIACONA Mr. Koshy George said, “I am worried that the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities continues even during the Coronavirus lockdown and Prime Minister Modi’s silence on these critical issues is very disheartening.â€
Mr. John Prabhudoss, the Chairman of FIACONA thanked Secretary Pompeo, Ambassador Sam Brownback and his team for their work on behalf of those persecuted for their faith.
It is becoming more and more common knowledge that non-state actors like the militias affiliated with Mr. Modi’s BJP government are increasingly violent in the past few years. Now they enjoy the protection of the government also. FIACONA strongly recommends that the US government must take the lead in sanctioning non-state actors and specific individuals in India who advocate and/or perpetrate violent acts against Christian and other religious minorities.
FIACONA also thanked the Trump Administration for its focus and prioritizing Religious Freedom issues in its foreign policy approach. FIACONA hopes that the President understands the serious threat to the state of India and the US interests from the Hindu nationalist movement.
The United States and the International community must understand that only an equitable, peaceful, and progressive society that is not affected by internal civil unrest will become a productive partner in trade and security. A religiously volatile and socially disturbed society in India will be detrimental to the interest of the international community not just in South Asia but across the Indian Ocean Corridor and beyond.
FIACONA asks the International governments, especially the industrialized nations to tread very cautiously in endorsing or encouraging nationalist forces in the name of the Hindu faith in India.
