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“All human beings are born free and equal

in dignity and rights.”

- Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Violence Against Religious Minorities in India

Date: 
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 - 9:30am
Location: 
CVC North Meeting Room 268

Announcement

Please join Rep. Patrick Meehan, co-chair of the American Sikh Caucus, and Reps. Joseph Pitts and Jim McGovern, co-chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, for an important briefing on violence against Muslims, Christians and other religious minorities in India.

India’s constitution guarantees that “all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion.” However, attacks against Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Dalits have increased in recent years. A 2015 report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom asked the Obama Administration to press the Indian government to publicly rebuke officials and religious leaders who endorse these hateful acts. In February, President Obama described religious targeting and attacks in India in recent years as “acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhi, the person who helped to liberate that nation.”

This briefing will outline the important legal, social and cultural issues related to the persecution of minorities in India. The panelists will also make recommendations as to how the United States can play a role to safeguard religious minorities in India and around the world.

The briefing is open to Members, staff and the public. If you have any questions please contact Jim Gray (for Rep. Meehan) at 202-225-2011, Carson Middleton (for Rep. Pitts) at 202-225-2411 or Soo Choi (for Rep. McGovern) at 202-225-3599.

Hosted by:

James P. McGovern, M.C.
Co-Chairman, TLHRC
Joseph R. Pitts, M.C.
Co-Chairman, TLHRC

Panelists

  • Rev. Dr. Joshva Raja, Research Supervisor, University of Amsterdam
  • Dr. Iqtidar Karamat Cheema, Director, Institute for Leadership and Community Development, UK
  • Professor Gurdarshan Sing Dhillon, Professor of History (retired), Punjab University, India
  • Sahar Chaudhry, Senior Policy Analyst, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
  • John Sifton, Asia Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch

Documents

Statements

Rev. Dr. Joshva Raja, Violence Against Religious Minorities in India 
Dr. Iqtidar Karamat Cheema, Violence Against Religious Minorities in India 
Prof. Gurdarshan Sing Dhillon, Violence Against Religious Minorities in India  

Related Items: 
Thirty Years of Impunity: The November 1984 Anti-Sikh Pogroms in India
The Plight of Religious Minorities in India
114th Congress