Former judge, diplomat point out bias in US Commission on International Religious Freedom religious freedom report
New Delhi: A group of 275 former judges, bureaucrats, diplomats and veterans has objected to a recent report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), calling it “troubling” and lacking balance.In a joint statement on March 21, the signatories questioned the USCIRF report’s methodology and conclusions, arguing that assessments of religious freedom should be based on long-term demographic trends rather than “selective or episodic narratives.”Citing census data, the statement emphasized that India’s minority population has remained stable or growing for decades, in sharp contrast to the decline in the Hindu population in Pakistan and Bangladesh since the partition of India. The signatories said the trend “suggests that India’s overall ecosystem is not producing the kind of sustained population shrinkage… that suggests systemic persecution.”The organization criticized the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)’s repeated tendency to negatively characterize Indian institutions and organizations, such as the RSS, without sufficient macro-evidence. It said criticism must be based on “verifiable evidence and contextual understanding”.The statement further rejected recommendations from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, including calls for sanctions and restrictions on individuals associated with the RSS, saying they were “highly motivated” and lacked credibility.Signatories include former Supreme Court judges, high court judges, former chief election commissioners, former ambassadors and more than 130 retired armed forces officers.Calling India a “strong democracy” with a well-established judiciary and parliamentary system, the group urged the U.S. government to review the basis for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s report and scrutinize its contributors.
