IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 160 

Condemning the conduct of Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his actions 

to incite religious persecution and urging the United States to condemn 

all violations of religious freedom in India. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 16, 2005 

Mr. CONYERS (for himself and Mr. PITTS) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the conduct of Chief Minister Narendra Modi 

for his actions to incite religious persecution and urging 

the United States to condemn all violations of religious 

freedom in India. 

Whereas India is the largest democracy in the world, with a 

Constitution that protects religious freedom and the fundamental rights of all citizens; 

Whereas the United States appreciates the commitment of 

India’s present government to preserving pluralism and 

religious diversity in India; 

Whereas Narendra Modi is the Chief Minister of Gujarat, a 

Western Indian state, and a member of a Hindu religious 

party known as the ‘‘Baratiya Janata Party’’ (BJP), who 
2 

•HRES 160 IH 

is responsible for the law and order and all administrative work within the Gujarat state; 

Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has confirmed in its May 2004 

report that since the political party of Chief Minister 

Modi took office in 1998, there have been ‘‘hundreds of 

attacks on Christian leaders, worshipers, and churches 

throughout India,’’ including killings, torture, rape and 

harassment of church staff, destruction of church property, and disruption of church events; 

Whereas the USCIRF has confirmed in its May 2004 report 

that the state government in Gujarat led by Chief Minister Modi has been widely accused of being reluctant to 

bring the perpetrators of the killings of Muslims and 

non-Hindus to justice; 

Whereas the Supreme Court of India has reported that those 

arrested in connection with the bombings and retaliatory 

attacks on Hindus in India have claimed that they carried out their actions ‘‘in revenge for the state-assisted 

killings of Muslims in Gujarat’’; 

Whereas the Supreme Court of India has admonished Chief 

Minister Modi and other government authorities in the 

State of Gujarat for their complacency and actions in 

connection with the attacks on non-Hindu groups; 

Whereas India’s National Human Rights Commission, an official body, found evidence of premeditation in the 

killings of non-Hindu groups, complicity by Gujarat state 

government officials, and police inaction in the midst of 

attacks on Muslims and Christians in India; 

Whereas the United States Department of State has discussed in one of its reports the role of Chief Minister 
3 

•HRES 160 IH 

Modi and his government in promoting attitudes of racial 

supremacy, racial hatred, and the legacy of Nazism 

through his government’s support of school textbooks in 

which Nazism is glorified; 

Whereas the United States Department of State has found 

that Chief Minister Modi revised the text of high school 

social studies textbooks in Gujarat schools to describe the 

‘‘charismatic personality’’ of ‘‘Hitler the Supremo’’, and 

the ‘‘achievements’’ of Nazism at great length, while failing to acknowledge the Nazi extermination policies, the 

concentration camps, and the religious persecution that 

occurred under the Nazi regime; 

Whereas in section 2(2) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401(2)), Congress made 

the following finding: ‘‘Freedom of religious belief and 

practice is a universal human right and fundamental 

freedom articulated in numerous international instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human 

Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political 

Rights, the Helsinki Accords, the Declaration on the 

Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, the United Nations 

Charter, and the European Convention for the Protection 

of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms’’; and 

Whereas such conduct by such a high ranking foreign official 

undermines internationally recognized fundamental 

human rights and the directives of Congress under the 

International Religious Freedom Act of 1998: Now therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
4 

•HRES 160 IH 

1 (1) condemns the conduct of Chief Minister 

2 Narendra Modi for condoning or inciting bigotry and 

3 intolerance against any religious group in India, in4 cluding people of the Christian and Islamic faiths; 

5 and 

6 (2) urges the United States— 

7 (A) to condemn violations of religious free8 dom; and 

9 (B) to promote and assist other govern10 ments in the promotion of the fundamental 

11 right to freedom of religion. 

Æ