IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1196 
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 21, 2022 
Ms. OMAR (for herself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. TLAIB, and Mr. VARGAS) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning human rights violations and violations of inter-
national religious freedom in India, including those tar-
geting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and 
other religious and cultural minorities. 
Whereas the United States Commission on International Reli-
gious Freedom (USCIRF) has called for designating 
India as a country of particular concern for 3 consecutive 
years; 
Whereas USCIRF’s 2022 annual report states that in 2021, 
‘‘the Indian government escalated its promotion and en-
forcement of policies—including those promoting a 
Hindu-nationalist agenda—that negatively affect Mus-
lims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and other religious mi-
norities’’; 
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•HRES 1196 IH 
Whereas the USCIRF report further states, ‘‘The govern-
ment continued to systemize its ideological vision of a 
Hindu state at both the national and state levels through 
the use of both existing and new laws and structural 
changes hostile to the country’s religious minorities’’; 
Whereas the USCIRF report describes the use of laws such 
as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Sedi-
tion Law ‘‘to create an increasing climate of intimidation 
and fear in an effort to silence anyone speaking out 
against the government’’; 
Whereas the USCIRF report outlines emblematic cases of the 
Indian Government’s repression of religious minority 
leaders and voices for religious pluralism in India, includ-
ing the Jesuit human rights defender Father Stan 
Swamy and the Muslim human rights advocate Khurram 
Parvez; 
Whereas the USCIRF report lists numerous examples of the 
Indian Government criminalizing, harassing, and repress-
ing interfaith couples and converts from Hinduism to 
Christianity or Islam; 
Whereas the USCIRF report highlights the severe risks of 
the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Reg-
istry of Citizens for Indian Muslims, including the possi-
bility of rendering millions stateless or subject to indefi-
nite detention; 
Whereas the USCIRF report states, ‘‘In 2021, numerous at-
tacks were made on religious minorities, particularly 
Muslims and Christians, and their neighborhoods, busi-
nesses, homes, and houses of worship. Many of these inci-
dents were violent, unprovoked, and/or encouraged or in-
cited by government officials.’’; 
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•HRES 1196 IH 
Whereas the USCIRF report cites a 2021 Oxfam India study 
which found that a third of Indian Muslims reported dis-
criminatory treatment at hospitals during the surge of 
COVID–19 in India; 
Whereas the USCIRF report further states, ‘‘In 2021, mass 
protests continued against farm laws enacted in Sep-
tember 2020. Despite the widespread and diverse nature 
of the protests, efforts—including by government offi-
cials—were still made to discredit the protesters, espe-
cially Sikh protesters, as terrorists and religiously moti-
vated separatists.’’; 
Whereas, as of June 2022, USCIRF lists 45 Indian nationals 
on its Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims list, all of 
whom were listed for their detention; 
Whereas, as of June 2022, 35 of those 45 prisoners of con-
science remain detained; 
Whereas the Department of State’s 2021 annual Report on 
International Religious Freedom, published on June 2, 
2022, outlines numerous examples of violence and threats 
of violence against religious minorities, particularly Mus-
lims and Christians, in India throughout 2021; 
Whereas, in the press conference launching the 2021 Depart-
ment of State Report on International Religious Free-
dom, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, ‘‘In India, 
the world’s largest democracy and home to a great diver-
sity of faiths, we’ve seen rising attacks on people and 
places of worship.’’; and 
Whereas, at the same press conference, Ambassador-at-Large 
for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain 
said, ‘‘We are concerned with targeting of a number of 
religious communities in India, including Christians, 
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•HRES 1196 IH 
Muslims, Sikhs, Hindu Dalits, and indigenous commu-
nities as well.’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns human rights violations and vio-
lations of international religious freedom in India, 
including those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, 
Dalits, Adivasis, and other religious and cultural mi-
norities; 
(2) expresses grave concern about the wors-
ening treatment of religious minorities in India; and 
(3) calls on the Secretary of State to designate 
India as a country of particular concern under the 
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) and the Frank R. Wolf Inter-
national Religious Freedom Act of 2016 (Public 
Law 114–281). 
Æ 
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