The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has placed India on its watch list for the first time, specifically mentioning the attacks on Christians in Orissa last year and the Gujarat riots of 2002. The commission, while mentioning the two specific instances of serial violence against religious minorities, also cited the Indian government’s inadequate efforts to protect their rights. “It is extremely disappointing that India, which has a multitude of religious communities, has done so little to protect and bring justice to its religious minorities under siege,” said the annual report of the panel, a US government arm.
“India’s democratic institutions charged with upholding the rule of law, most notably state and central judiciaries and police, have emerged as unwilling or unable to seek redress for victims of the violence. More must be done to ensure future violence does not occur and that perpetrators are held accountable,” the US panel said.