Title: 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.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution condemns 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.
The resolution also calls on the Department of State to designate India as a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1196 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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) 
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 
        3 consecutive years;
Whereas USCIRF's 2022 annual report states that in 2021, ``the Indian government 
        escalated its promotion and enforcement of policies--including those 
        promoting a Hindu-nationalist agenda--that negatively affect Muslims, 
        Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and other religious minorities'';
Whereas the USCIRF report further states, ``The government 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 Sedition 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, including 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 repressing 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 Registry of Citizens for Indian Muslims, 
        including the possibility of rendering millions stateless or subject to 
        indefinite detention;
Whereas the USCIRF report states, ``In 2021, numerous attacks were made on 
        religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians, and their 
        neighborhoods, businesses, homes, and houses of worship. Many of these 
        incidents were violent, unprovoked, and/or encouraged or incited by 
        government officials.'';
Whereas the USCIRF report cites a 2021 Oxfam India study which found that a 
        third of Indian Muslims reported discriminatory 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 September 2020. Despite the widespread and 
        diverse nature of the protests, efforts--including by government 
        officials--were still made to discredit the protesters, especially Sikh 
        protesters, as terrorists and religiously motivated 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 conscience 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 Muslims and Christians, in India throughout 2021;
Whereas, in the press conference launching the 2021 Department of State Report 
        on International Religious Freedom, Secretary of State Antony Blinken 
        said, ``In India, the world's largest democracy and home to a great 
        diversity 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, 
        Muslims, Sikhs, Hindu Dalits, and indigenous communities as well.'': 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns 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;
            (2) expresses grave concern about the worsening 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 International Religious Freedom Act of 2016 (Public Law 
        114-281).
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