Statement on USCIRF Recommendation on India
CDASSI welcomes recommendation by US Commission on International Religious Freedom
Coalition for Democracy and Secularism in India (CDASSI) welcomes the recommendation by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to designate India as a country of particular concern or CPC, for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious religious freedom violations as defined by the international religious freedom act (IRFA).
CDASII urges the US government and especially the state department to fully implement the recommendations of the commission. The tone of the report is clear in warning that India is headed in the wrong direction and unless urgent steps are taken fundamental rights of hundreds of millions of religious minorities including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs as well as caste minorities such as Dalits will be in jeopardy. We also urge Congress to act on the recommendations on urgency.
It is time that Indian govt realizes that the path it has chosen is not only not good as an internal policy but it is also bad as foreign policy and it is time for it to reverse course and return back to its founding principles of tolerance and respect for all faiths.
In addition it not just the responsibility of USA but the entire international community to reject India’s march towards fascism and genocide and put diplomatic pressure on Indian govt to reverse course.
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The Coalition for Democracy and Secularism in India, a broad umbrella group comprising of diaspora and US-based civil rights organizations has announced it will organize a protest sit-in on February 22 titled "Shaheen Bagh Los Angeles." The sit-in will be aimed at expressing solidarity with the "Shaheen Bagh" protests in New Delhi and similar protests at hundreds of locations around India.