IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 542 

Condemning human rights violations and violations of international religious 

freedom in India, including those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, 

Dalits, Adivasis, and other religious and cultural minorities. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 22, 2023 

Ms. OMAR (for herself, Mr. TRONE, Ms. PRESSLEY, Ms. TLAIB, and Ms. JACOBS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning human rights violations and violations of international religious freedom in India, including those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and 

other religious and cultural minorities. 

Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called for designating 

India as a Country of Particular Concern for 4 consecutive years; 

Whereas USCIRF’s 2023 annual report states that in 2022, 

‘‘the Indian Government at the national, State, and local 

levels promoted and enforced religiously discriminatory 

policies, including laws targeting religious conversion, 

interfaith relationships, the wearing of hijabs, and cow 


rfrederick on DSKB3L4F33PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 542 IH 

slaughter, which negatively impact Muslims, Christians, 

Sikhs, Dalits, and Adivasis’’; 

Whereas the USCIRF report further states that, ‘‘The national government also continued to suppress critical 

voices—particularly religious minorities and those advocating on their behalf—including through surveillance, 

harassment, demolition of property, and detention’’; 

Whereas the USCIRF report describes the use of laws such 

as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Sedition law ‘‘to target freedom of religion and expression, 

creating an increasing climate of intimidation and fear’’; 

Whereas the USCIRF report enumerates increasing criminalization of religious conversion, particularly targeting 

Christians and Muslims, including bans on interfaith 

marriages; 

Whereas, according to USCIRF, ‘‘The ruling Bharatiya 

Janata Party committed to enforcing harsher penalties 

for interfaith marriages in its 2022 election manifesto for 

Uttar Pradesh’’; 

Whereas the USCIRF report highlights the severe risks of 

the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Registry of 

Citizens for Indian Muslims, including the possibility of 

rendering hundreds of thousands stateless or subject to 

indefinite detention; 

Whereas the USCIRF report outlines a trend of attacks on 

religious minorities in their homes and places of worship, 

including the physical destruction of mosques and homes 

in Muslim neighborhoods, and mob violence against Muslims and Christians; 


rfrederick on DSKB3L4F33PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 542 IH 

Whereas the USCIRF describes rampant sexual violence and 

harassment against women belonging to religious minority and Dalit communities; 

Whereas, as of June 2023, the United States Commission on 

International Religious Freedom lists 55 Indian nationals 

on its Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims list, 53 of 

whom are listed as detained with one under house arrest 

and one disappeared; 

Whereas, as of June 2022, 41 of the 53 remain detained, 

with one, the Catholic priest and human rights activist 

Father Stan Swamy, having died in custody; and 

Whereas, in February 2022, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released an opinion, declaring Swamy’s 

detention arbitrary and his death ‘‘utterly preventable’’: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns human rights violations and vio3 lations of international religious freedom in India, 

4 including those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, 

5 Dalits, Adivasis, and other religious and cultural mi6 norities; 

7 (2) expresses grave concern about the wors8 ening treatment of religious minorities in India; and 

9 (3) calls on the Secretary of State to designate 

10 India as a Country of Particular Concern in the next 

11 annual report submitted pursuant to section 102 of 

12 the International Religious Freedom Act of 1988 


rfrederick on DSKB3L4F33PROD with BILLS
4 

•HRES 542 IH 

1 and section 302 the Frank R. Wolf International 

2 Religious Freedom Act of 2016. 

Æ 


rfrederick on DSKB3L4F33PROD with BILLS