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India joins Cuba in raising the
Iron Curtain
GOI denies visa to US Commission on Religious Freedoms
Jagmohan Singh
 The
doubting Thomasses will always remain so but now it is not going to
be easy. The cat is out of the bag. In a move which reflects the
consistent policy of the country to stick to the “internal affairs”
argument, the government of India has denied visas to a high level
delegation of the
US
based United States Commission on Religious Freedom.
The report of
USCIRF on India is likely to be released soon now, as it had been
placed on hold in view of the impending visit. Sources close to the
USCIRF have told WSN that “India
is likely to be categorized as a country of particular concern” in
view of the failure of India to open itself to scrutiny.
The cancellation
of the visit is also likely to be taken up by US Secretary of State
during her scheduled visit to India.
The present
pretext is that “the timing is not conducive” Please wonder. India
has had a successful national-level election in seven phases, a new
government has been installed, a member of a minority community
heads the new Congress government, Kandhamal has been forgotten by
the first, second, third and fourth estate, the new Prime Minister
wants the Sikhs to forget 1984, the burgeoning middle class is least
bothered about the fundamental issues facing the people, Narendra
Modi is quiet for a while, superficially, the RSS and BJP are
fighting each other and not pontificating to religious minorities
–everything seems to be fine.
So, what is the
need for India to raise the iron curtain. The country that proclaims
‘Satyamev Jayate’ is hiding behind the façade of being the world’s
largest democracy. The Hindu pontiff Shankarcharya Jayendra had
denounced the proposed visit. The BJP and RSS were deadly against
it. Does it not look that the entire polity has ganged up against
the religious minorities?
The USCIRF press
briefing is direct and clear “Ever since the US Congress passed an
International Religious Freedom Act 1998 and created the USCIRF, it
has been trying to visit India, but New Delhi has consistently told
the Commission’s members that they will not be given visas for an
official visit if they applied for one.” Commission chair Felice D.
Gaer has further stated that “Our Commission has visited China,
Russia, Saudi Arabia, and over 20 other countries. India, a close
ally of the United States, has been unique among democracies in
delaying and denying USCIRF’s ability to visit. USCIRF has been
requesting visits since 2001.”
However as the
Voices for Freedom director Ranjit Singh has pointed out “USCIRF is
not alone in this situation. It joins the ranks of Amnesty
International and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture who too have
been denied unfettered official access to parts of India where they
propose to go and investigate.”
Human rights
bodies in India need to buckle up their shoes. Religious bodies of
the Sikhs, Christians and Muslims need to join hands and raise a
concerted voice against this move of the government of India. Voices
for Freedom has strongly recommended that it is time for civil
society in India and the world to debunk “India’s functioning
democracy” tag by citing how it is scuttling international scrutiny.
Everyone must ask, “what has India got to hide?
19
June 2009
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