New Delhi: Highlighting India’s worsening human rights records, a new Congressional Research Service report notes differing views among US policymakers and analysts on addressing this concern, while courting New Delhi as a strategic counterweight to China. The report ‘India: Religious Freedom Issues’ released earlier this week charts the basis of India’s secular constitution and explains the religious and political fault-lines that have fuelled the growth in social disharmony and what it has meant for India-US ties. “After a decade of BJP rule at the federal level and expanded BJP power in state governments since 2014, Hindu chauvinism and bigotry are more visible in India, with rates of communal violence on the rise in recent years,” said the report. It also spotlighted the recent accusations made against the Indian government by Canada, as well as US prosecutors, of alleged transnational acts. “These developments severely disrupted India-Canada ties and could yet affect the tenor and trajectory of the U.S.-India partnership. They also have attracted congressional attention.” Earlier this year, the Senate foreign relations committee chair had “explicitly linked his approval of a pending U.S. arms sale to India to Biden Administration assurances that India’s government was committed to a thorough investigation leading to ‘credible accountability’ in

The Chief Justice of India Dr. Dhananjay Yashwant Chandrachud retired at the weekend, teaching civil society and religious minorities a valuable lesson — don’t pin your hopes too high on the pedigree of a judge, on his record in the high courts, and certainly not on what he says in seminars and articles. When push comes to shove, judges will never hurt a majoritarian ruling dispensation and an authoritarian government. This is a valuable lesson for the next chief justice, Harish Khanna, who comes with an even better pedigree. His uncle, Supreme Court Judge H R Khanna, defied the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi, and dissented with the majority which upheld her government’s right to imprison political opponents at will and without court hearings. He was in line to be the chief justice but was superseded. Ironically, Chandrachud’s father, Yashwant Chandrachud, had ruled in favor of Gandhi and became the chief justice in time. It is another matter that all these eminent jurists are pointed out as prime examples of the subterranean nepotism fostered in the “collegium” system where judges of state high courts and of the Supreme Court are chosen by the five senior judges of the apex court. The Supreme Court is

A Church leader in India’s Manipur has expressed concern that the latest killings in a fierce gunfight between tribal Kuki militants and security forces may lead to “further escalation of violence” in the troubled northeastern state. At least 11 militants, who were described as “village volunteers” by their tribal body, were killed when security forces claimed to have "repulsed an attack on a police station” by them on Nov. 11. The fresh bout of violence will “increase animosities between rival groups” and "may jeopardize the federal government’s initiative to restore peace" in the state, the Church leader who did not want to be named due to security concerns told UCA News on Nov. 12. Government sources said two personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were injured as the militants in camouflage uniforms and armed with sophisticated weapons fired indiscriminately at the Borobekra police station in Jiribam district. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) condemned the killings of tribal men and denied the government’s claim that they were militants. The tribal body in a statement on Nov. 12 expressed deep sorrow over the “tragic loss of our 11 brave volunteers.” The gunfight comes close after the burned corpse of a Kuki woman was found in

MUMBAI: For the minority Christian community in Maharashtra, the election offers difficult choices, especially after home minister Amit Shah’s statement that a BJP govt in the state will implement the anti-conversion law and never allow quota for minorities. Despite the fact that no Christian candidate has been fielded by major political parties in Mumbai, community leaders are advising members to vote in large numbers on Nov 20. Cyril Dara, core member of a federation of NGOs named Samast Christi Samaj, said, “Christians are targeted by anti-conversion laws, which create an environment where conversion to a minority religion is very dangerous, and sharing the gospel can lead to persecution.” Bishop Allwyn D’Silva, in-charge of the social apostolate of the Archdiocese, echoed the need to “vote in parties that respect the Constitution”. “We must invoke the conscience of people regarding issues like communal tension, worsening economic inequality, lack of jobs, and multiple injustices like the anti-conversion bill.” Herbert Barretto, president, Maharashtrian East Indian Christian Federation, said, “The community is unhappy with Congress, NCP and both Shiv Senas for ignoring our members during distribution of tickets.” Melwyn Fernandes of AOCC also expressed hurt over the “exclusion of Christian candidates from Congress party’s list” despite its claims of

Guwahati: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) through several of its offshoots have sped up reconversions of Christians into Hindu indigenous faith in Meghalaya, a new book has claimed. It stated that while conversions of Christians into Hindu indigenous faith had been 60 families annually in the Khasi Hills, the number spiked to 500 in the last five years. "About sixty families used to convert to the indigenous Hindu faiths from Christianity in the past annually in the Khasi Hills. But that number has significantly increased. Over 500 families have undergone 'Ghar Wapsi (reconversions)' in the last five years in the hills," Abhijit Majumdar has quoted the RSS functionaries in Meghalaya in 'India's New Right: Powering the Current Wave of Nationalism and Civilisational Revival'. Majumder has quoted the RSS functionaries in the book saying that Meghalaya is currently in the grip of nationalism with foremost issue being the illegal influx of the Bangladeshi Muslims. "One of the main concerns shared by Hindus and Christians alike in Meghalaya is the illegal Muslim settlers from Bangladesh. Even the churches are openly discussing the issue," Plielad Khongtiang, a BJP worker, told Majumder. The author quoted Nikelson Khongmawloh from the Pynter village in the Khasi Hills that "forty Christian

Christians have condemned a claim by the leader of a Hindu organization that Christian churches are at the center of the drug trade in north-eastern India which shares borders with the world’s largest opium producer – Myanmar. The United Christian Forum of Dima Hasao said on Monday that the Christian community is shocked and dismayed over the allegation. Earlier, Surendra Kumar Jain, international joint general secretary of the World Hindu Council claimed, “drug business is done on a large scale by the churches,” at an event in Assam, the biggest state in north-eastern India. The comments drew an angry response from Christians, who alleged that Jain was attempting to create divisions among religious communities in the region. Both the World Hindu Council and India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party owe their allegiance to the ultranationalist outfit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which is against the missionary activities of Christians in the South Asian nation. Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya in the northeast are Christian-majority states. Along with Nagaland and Mizoram, sectarian strife-torn Manipur shares a border with civil war-hit Myanmar. The Bharatiya Janata Party rules Manipur and has blamed the narcotics trade for the simmering communal tensions in the state. Koet Saray, an activist and former monk in

India (International Christian Concern) — As police officers watched, hundreds of people attacked 14 Christians on Oct. 30 in Chhattisgarh, India, after they defied orders to abandon their Christian faith and harvested crops from a communal farm. Several of the Christians, including two women, were beaten with wooden rods and suffered head trauma and broken bones. The mob also demolished the believers’ homes, destroyed the crops they had harvested, and injured a police officer who had tried to help. The violence occurred in south Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district. The area’s tribal population, known as Adivasis, are considered peace-loving people. However, they often attack those among them who have converted to Christianity. Local radical Hindu nationalists sometimes inspire these attacks. In June, a Christian woman was brutally killed in the same district by her Hindu nationalist relatives. Nagesh Micha, a Christian rights activist, questioned why the police failed to fulfill their duty and promptly act. “The police, which are supposed to uphold the fundamental rights of an individual, have allowed 14 people to be beaten in their presence,” Micha said. “This means there are higher authorities who are supporting the mobs.” This article was originally published on https://www.persecution.org/2024/11/08/police-watch-as-mob-attacks-14-christians-in-chhattisgarh/

MUMBAI, India – Three Christian organizations in India are seeking legal action against a politician accusing the Church of being involved in the “drug business.” Dr. Surendra Kumar Jain, the International Joint General Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), made his statement in Assam in northeastern India. “Today I realized that the drug business is also done on a large scale by the Church. On one hand, the Church is destroying our culture, insulting the traditions, beliefs here and also destroying the life of the people here,” he said on Oct. 17. He was speaking at a computer center in the town of Haflong.“After coming here, I came to know that girls here are moving ahead in every field of life, boys are lagging behind. This is becoming a big reason for drug addiction. Social organizations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad are taking this drug addiction as a challenge … We will join hands with the government here and run a big movement against this drug addiction and we will try to make the Northeast drug-free,” he said. “Conversion is a challenge, we do answer it, but we will also tell the Church,” Jain said. “You keep going to the church, the Christians here

Christian organizations in Assam are calling for legal action against Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Surendra Kumar Jain after his controversial remarks accusing churches in the state of involvement in drug trafficking. The Hindutva leader, Jain made these statements on Sunday, October 27, while felicitating a local freedom fighter Joya Thaosen at an event in Haflong, Dima Hasao District. During his speech, Jain connected churches with drug trafficking asserting that the practice was negatively impacting the region. His comments have prompted significant outrage among local Christian groups. Christian leader’s joint statement On Tuesday, November 5, Several Christian organisations including the United Christian Forum of Dimahasou, the United Christian Forum of Karbi Anglong, and the Assam Christian Forum (ACF) issued a statement a joint statement condemning the Jain’s statement while expressing “deep shock and dismay.” They stated that the VHP leader’s statement was appalling and ‘rude’ and sorely polarized the society. In response to Jain’s accusations, the ACF described the allegations as “frivolous” and as part of a plan to isolate the Christian population. They pointed out that such statements are not only distorting the function of the church in society but also undermining the traditions of inter-Christian harmony in Assam. Other Christian leaders have strongly criticized

India’s path toward 2047, the centenary of its independence, reveals a troubling paradox. Once celebrated for its pluralism and diversity, India is now grappling with an ideological shift that threatens to unravel its inclusive foundation. Since 2014, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the rise of Hindutva ideology, an ideology that blends Hindu identity with Indian nationalism, has reshaped India’s domestic and international reputation, challenging the very principles on which the country was founded. If this trend continues, India could face a perilous future marked by fragmentation, deepening social divides, and international condemnation. The evolution of Hindutva from a fringe ideology to a political force is at the heart of India’s transformation. Under Modi’s leadership, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has promoted a vision of India as a Hindu nation, alienating minority communities and redefining national identity. This shift is meticulously documented in The Atlantic (2022), which observes how Hindu nationalism, now a political mainstream, has embedded itself into India’s state machinery, influencing policies that many argue discriminate against religious minorities, particularly Muslims. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) are two such policies. The CAA, for example, fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from neighboring countries, signaling