US Senator joins Sikh calls to designate India “Country of Particular Concern”

Senator of Oklahoma (USA) James Lankford has released an open letter calling for India to be designated a “Country of Particular Concern”, joining calls from members of the American Sikh community.

The call from Senator Lankford came as part of a general request for the USCIRF (United States Commission for International Religious Freedom, an office of the United States Department of State) to release a delayed report which will explain why it omitted India from its list of countries of concern for 2022.

In the open letter, Lankford highlighted that “India was not formally designated despite overt and repeated severe violations of religious freedom”, also adding that “Formally designating countries under IRFA (International Religious Freedom Act) can be an effective diplomatic tool to encourage and secure changes in behavior”.

Read Lankford’s letter here-

American Sikh community figure and Norwich (Connecticut) City Council member Swaranjit Singh said of the open letter “I urge US federal leaders to add their voices to Senator Lankford’s and stand with minorities on human rights issues in India and around the globe“. Swaranjit Singh Khalsa, who is also a sevadaar (selfless servant) of official United Nations NGO (Non-Government Org) Council member the World Sikh Parliament, has long campaigned to have the USA recognize India’s human rights abuses against its minorities, such as the Sikhs. Swaranjit Singh has taken up these efforts with the backing of countless American Sikhs who have voiced concerns about India’s abuse of minorities, whilst also speaking on behalf of US based human rights group Justice For All.

Various American Sikh groups have worked with State authorities to highlight the growing fascism of India which has seen ongoing human rights abuses of Sikhs, from police targeting of Sikh activists to state authorities destroying Sikh homes.

Zahir Adil, a non-Sikh team lead for Justice For All’s Save India From Fascism campaign said, “We thank Senator Lankford for this bold stand. We are happy that he has expressed that the United States as a leader of human rights, should continue to ask partner nations to improve in their own records. India’s pluralism and secularism are at risk under Modi and his Nazi inspired ideology of Hindutva (Hindu extremism) and we must oppose its strengthening by all available means.“

Based on Lankford’s request which echoes calls from various groups in the USA, many will be watching closely to see if the US Department of State’s USCIRF team will designate India as a country of concern for 2023.

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