By Fr. Cedric Prakash
On March 4, 2026, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its report in
Washington’s Annual Report 2026. The USCIRF website( www.uscirf.gov) states that, “The
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 very detailed chapter ( https://www.uscirf.gov/countries/india ) on the lack of religious
Freedom in India, the latest Report states that religious freedom conditions continued to deteriorate
in 2025. The Indian government introduced and enforced new legislation targeting religious
minority communities and their houses of worship. Several states undertook efforts to introduce or
strengthen anti-conversion laws with harsher prison sentences. Authorities facilitated widespread
detention and illegal expulsion of citizens and religious refugees while tolerating vigilante attacks
against religious minority communities. Hindu nationalist mobs harassed, incited, and instigated
violence against Muslims and Christians with impunity across several States throughout the
year. The details on India are scathing, authenticated with hard data and evidence, which is
incontrovertible. It also held the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Research and Analysis
Wing (RAW) is responsible for what is happening to the minorities in India. The USCIRF Report
blacklists India and has recommended to the US Government that it should be listed in the
Countries of Particular Concern (CPC).
The USCIRF has made far-reaching recommendations to the US Government, which include
Designate India as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, for engaging in and tolerating.
systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations, as defined by the
International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA);
Press India to allow US government entities such as USCIRF and the U.S. Department of
State to conduct in-country assessments of religious freedom conditions;
Impose targeted sanctions on individuals and entities, such as India’s Research and Analysis.
Wing and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), for their responsibility and tolerance of
severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ or entities’ assets and/or
barring their entry into the United States;
Link future U.S. security assistance and bilateral trade policies with India to improvements
in religious freedom; and
Enforce Section 6 of the Arms Export Control Act to halt arms sales to India based on
continued acts of intimidation and harassment against U.S. citizens and religious minorities.
The U.S. Congress should reintroduce and pass the Transnational Repression Reporting.
Act of 2024 to require the annual reporting of acts of transnational repression by the Indian
The government is targeting religious minorities in the United States.
Besides, the commission also recommended linking future US security assistance and
bilateral trade policies with India to improve religious freedom.
If seriously implemented , these recommendations would certainly have a profound impact on US.
–India’s relationship.
On Monday, 16 March , the Government of India finally responded to the USCIRF report. Randhir
Jaiswal , a spokesperson from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said, ” 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 the disturbing
incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in the United States, the selective targeting of
India, and growing intolerance and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora in the United States
States, which merit serious attention,"
It was the usual denial by a regime which desperately wants to sweep the truth under the carpet. A
pathetic response indeed! Every single day, there are reports in the Indian media (in spite of it being
‘godified’ !)of how the religious minorities ( particularly the Muslims, Christians and Sikhs) are
being denigrated , demonised and even attacked. No one can deny this – even a Government which
has sophisticated the art of lying and falsehood !
India has been faring miserably on every global parameter/indicator. The Government has become
the laughing stock of the world! The spine we had as a non-aligned nation under the leadership of
Nehru is all lost! Our PM has to go to Texas to canvas politically for Trump; the bhakts gloat over a
medal ( a non-existent ‘honour’) given to him in the Israeli Parliament, even as the entire opposition
is seen walking out! What a shame for the nation!
Now the Indian Government cannot bear the shame of the USCIRF report on freedom of religion!
The Indian Government would have saved some face if, instead of attacking the messenger:
– had accepted the Report in all honesty, and begun corrective measures immediately!
-shown courage by rebutting the report point by point and proving them wrong( obviously in no
way they can do so!)
– invite immediately the USCIRF to come to India ( as they really want to, since the last several
years) and give them the possibility of visiting every corner of the country, and meet with religious
minorities and others, and see for themselves the ‘reality’ of freedom of religion in India
– tell all the ‘sanghis’ , ‘bhakts’ and other ‘hindutvadis’ who live in the US, to return to India
immediately before ICE arrests them and deports them handcuffed!
Some years ago , Lawrence Ferlinghetti had in his poem ‘Pity the Nation’ these oft-quoted words.
"Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced, and whose bigots haunt the
airwaves; and for good measure, we can add “where freedom of religion is throttled!” The plain
truth about India today!
(Fr Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights, reconciliation and peace activist. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of www.vibesofindia.com)
Also Read: Human Rights activist Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ pays tribute to Stan Swamy https://www.vibesofindia.com/human-rights-activist-cedric-prakash-pays-tribute-stan-swamy/
