The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has opted to retain India it on its Tier 2 watch list, along with nine other countries, while designating 16 others, including Pakistan, as “Countries of Particular Concern”.
The Government of India has over the years brushed aside the findings of the commission, which calls itself an “independent federal advisory body” created by US Congress.In its newly-released report for 2014, the commission makes the assertion that over the past year, incidents of communal violence against religious minorities have increased in India.“Despite the country’s status as a pluralistic, secular democracy, India has struggled to protect minority communities or provide justice when crimes occur due to a lack of political will, political corruption and religious bias by Government officials,”it claims.
In its recommendations to the US Government, the commission says that concern for religious freedom should be integrated into bilateral contacts with India at both the federal and provincial levels.