Global scrutiny? What the USCIRF report means for religious freedom in India

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ* 

On March 4, 2026, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its Annual Report 2026 in Washington. The USCIRF website states: “The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency created by the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), as amended. USCIRF monitors the universal right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) abroad; makes policy recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress; and tracks the implementation of these recommendations. USCIRF’s analysis is based on international standards. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that: ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.’”

In a detailed chapter on India, the report states that religious freedom conditions continued to deteriorate in 2025. It notes that the Indian government introduced and enforced new legislation targeting religious minority communities and their places of worship. Several states attempted to introduce or strengthen anti-conversion laws with harsher prison sentences. Authorities allegedly facilitated widespread detention and illegal expulsion of citizens and religious refugees, while tolerating vigilante attacks against minority communities. Hindu nationalist mobs, the report claims, harassed and incited violence against Muslims and Christians with impunity across several states throughout the year.

The section on India is scathing, backed by data and evidence that the report presents as incontrovertible. It also holds the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) responsible for the situation faced by minorities. The USCIRF has recommended that the US government designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC).

The Commission has made far-reaching recommendations to the US government, including:

- Designating India as a CPC for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA);

- Pressing India to allow US government entities such as USCIRF and the US Department of State to conduct in-country assessments of religious freedom conditions;

- Imposing targeted sanctions on individuals and entities, including India’s Research and Analysis Wing and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), by freezing assets and/or barring entry into the United States;

- Linking future US security assistance and bilateral trade policies with India to improvements in religious freedom;

- Enforcing Section 6 of the Arms Export Control Act to halt arms sales to India based on continued acts of intimidation and harassment against US citizens and religious minorities.

The report also recommends that the US Congress reintroduce and pass the Transnational Repression Reporting Act of 2024, mandating annual reporting on acts of transnational repression by the Indian government targeting religious minorities in the United States.

If implemented seriously, these recommendations could have a profound impact on US–India relations.

On Monday, March 16, the Government of India responded to the USCIRF report. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), stated: “We have taken note of the latest report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). We categorically reject its motivated and biased characterisation of India. For several years now, USCIRF has persisted in presenting a distorted and selective picture of India, relying on questionable sources and ideological narratives rather than objective facts.” He added: “Such repeated misrepresentations only undermine the credibility of the Commission itself. Instead of persisting with selective criticism of India, USCIRF would do well to reflect on disturbing incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the United States, selective targeting of India, and growing intolerance and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora in the United States, which merit serious attention.”

This response reflects a familiar pattern of denial by a regime that appears unwilling to confront uncomfortable truths. Reports continue to surface in sections of the Indian media—despite increasing pressures—highlighting how religious minorities, particularly Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs, face discrimination, demonisation, and, at times, violence. These realities cannot be easily dismissed, even by a government adept at shaping narratives.

India has also fared poorly on several global indices in recent years. The moral authority it once held as a non-aligned nation under Jawaharlal Nehru appears diminished. Diplomatic and political choices in recent times have raised concerns about the country’s global standing and priorities.

The government’s rejection of the USCIRF report, instead of engaging with its findings, risks further reputational damage. A more constructive approach could have included:

- Accepting the report in good faith and initiating corrective measures;

- Responding point by point with verifiable evidence to challenge the findings;

- Inviting USCIRF to visit India and independently assess conditions across the country by engaging with diverse communities;

- Demonstrating a genuine commitment to safeguarding freedom of religion for all citizens.

Years ago, in his poem Pity the Nation, Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote: “Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced, and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.” To that, one might add: a nation where freedom of religion is under strain.

This remains a deeply contested and urgent reality in India today.

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*Human rights, reconciliation, peace activist, writer