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Today's Topics:
1. Read: "US religious freedom panel calls for sanctions against
RSS" (Vivek Pinto)
2. Fwd: Read: "US religious freedom panel calls for sanctions
against RSS" (Vivek Pinto)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2026 22:53:29 +0900
From: Vivek Pinto <[email protected]>
To: Goanet <[email protected]>
Subject: [Goanet] Read: "US religious freedom panel calls for
sanctions against RSS"
Message-ID:
<CAH3OY9w4jzYuGSQzMa21-XRDp=w9yCaSDQWWcko0E+tjOs5rOw-JsoAwUIsXosN+BqQ9rBEUg@public.gmane.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>"In an India-specific issue update released in November, the commission
had noted that the 'interconnected relationship between the RSS and BJP
allows for the creation and enforcement of several discriminatory pieces of
legislation
<https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/2025%20Issue%20Systematic%20Religious%20Persecution%20in%20India%20%28002%29.pdf>,
including citizenship, anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws'?.
In the 2026 annual report, among the commission?s other recommendations was
that the Trump administration designate India as a 'country of particular
concern' for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious
violations of religious freedom. This is the seventh time the United States
Commission on International Religious Freedom has made this recommendation."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
By: The Scroll Staff
Published in: *Scroll*
Date: March 15, 2026
Source:
https://scroll.in/latest/1091390/us-religious-freedom-panel-calls-for-sanctions-against-rss
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom?s 2026
annual report also sought ?country of particular concern? tag for India.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh should face targeted sanctions
<https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-03/USCIRF_2026_AR%20%282%29.pdf>
for its responsibility for and tolerance of violations of religious
freedom in India, a US panel has recommended to the Donald Trump
administration. The sanctions could include freezing the organisation?s
assets and barring entry to the US.
The RSS is the parent organisation of the Narendra-Modi led Bharatiya
Janata Party government in India.
The recommendation was made in the United States Commission on
International Religious Freedom?s 2026 annual report, released earlier this
month.
The commission is an independent American government agency that monitors
the universal right to freedom of religion and makes policy suggestions to
the White House. These suggestions are not binding.
In an India-specific issue update released in November, the commission had
noted that the ?interconnected relationship between the RSS and BJP allows
for the creation and enforcement of several discriminatory pieces of
legislation
<https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/2025%20Issue%20Systematic%20Religious%20Persecution%20in%20India%20%28002%29.pdf>,
including citizenship, anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws?.
In the 2026 annual report, among the commission?s other recommendations was
that the Trump administration designate India as a ?country of particular
concern? for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious
violations of religious freedom. This is the seventh time the United States
Commission on International Religious Freedom has made this recommendation.
India has not responded to the latest report. However, in March 2025, the
Ministry of External Affairs had said that the commission has a ?pattern of
issuing biased and politically motivated
<https://www.mea.gov.in/response-to-queries.htm?dtl/39257/Official_Spokespersons_response_to_media_queries_regarding_the_2025_Annual_Report_of_United_States_Commission_on_International_Religious_Freedom>
assessments?.
India is among the 18 countries that the commission recommended for
designation as ?countries of particular concern?, along with Afghanistan,
Myanmar, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North
Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and
Vietnam.
?Religious freedom continues to deteriorate?
In the latest annual report, the commission noted that in 2025 ?religious
freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate as the government
introduced and enforced new legislation targeting religious minority
communities and their houses of worship?.
?Indian authorities also facilitated widespread detention and illegal
expulsion of citizens
<https://scroll.in/latest/1082131/bangladesh-detains-123-persons-including-rohingyas-trying-to-enter-from-india-report>
and religious refugees and tolerated vigilante attacks against religious
minority communities,? the report said.
The Union government continued to use anti-terrorism laws to imprison
religious minorities and those advocating on their behalf, it added.
The report noted that activists ?Umar Khalid
<https://scroll.in/tag/umar-khalid>, Sharjeel Imam
<https://scroll.in/tag/Sharjeel-Imam> and several others involved in the
2020 [Citizenship Amendment Act] protests remained in prison for the fifth
year without trials?.
?Throughout the year, Hindu nationalist mobs across several states
harassed, incited, and instigated violence against Muslims and Christians
<https://scroll.in/latest/1089746/bjp-ally-christian-groups-flag-concern-about-violence-against-community-during-christmas-season>with
impunity,? the report said. ?Throughout 2025, violent mobs attacked Muslims
under the guise of protecting state-level cow slaughter laws.?
It also noted that 12 of India?s states have anti-conversion laws
<https://scroll.in/tag/anti_conversion-law>, and that several state
governments strengthened or introduced new legislation in 2025 with broader
definitions of ?religious conversion? and harsher penalties.
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:25:13 +0900
From: Vivek Pinto <[email protected]>
To: Goanet <[email protected]>
Subject: [Goanet] Fwd: Read: "US religious freedom panel calls for
sanctions against RSS"
Message-ID:
<CAH3OY9xBx5ODMuMGDiMMAeZHps-F=VVwKpsN_8UEq=_r3ea9Dw-JsoAwUIsXosN+BqQ9rBEUg@public.gmane.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>"In an India-specific issue update released in November, the commission
had noted that the 'interconnected relationship between the RSS and BJP
allows for the creation and enforcement of several discriminatory pieces of
legislation
<https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/2025%20Issue%20Systematic%20Religious%20Persecution%20in%20India%20%28002%29.pdf>,
including citizenship, anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws'?.
In the 2026 annual report, among the commission?s other recommendations was
that the Trump administration designate India as a 'country of particular
concern' for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious
violations of religious freedom. This is the seventh time the United States
Commission on International Religious Freedom has made this recommendation."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
By: Scroll Staff
Published in: *Scroll*
Date: March 15, 2026
Source:
https://scroll.in/latest/1091390/us-religious-freedom-panel-calls-for-sanctions-against-rss
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom?s 2026
annual report also sought ?country of particular concern? tag for India.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh should face targeted sanctions
<https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-03/USCIRF_2026_AR%20%282%29.pdf>
for its responsibility for and tolerance of violations of religious
freedom in India, a US panel has recommended to the Donald Trump
administration. The sanctions could include freezing the organisation?s
assets and barring entry to the US.
The RSS is the parent organisation of the Narendra-Modi led Bharatiya
Janata Party government in India.
The recommendation was made in the United States Commission on
International Religious Freedom?s 2026 annual report, released earlier this
month.
The commission is an independent American government agency that monitors
the universal right to freedom of religion and makes policy suggestions to
the White House. These suggestions are not binding.
In an India-specific issue update released in November, the commission had
noted that the ?interconnected relationship between the RSS and BJP allows
for the creation and enforcement of several discriminatory pieces of
legislation
<https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/2025%20Issue%20Systematic%20Religious%20Persecution%20in%20India%20%28002%29.pdf>,
including citizenship, anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws?.
In the 2026 annual report, among the commission?s other recommendations was
that the Trump administration designate India as a ?country of particular
concern? for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious
violations of religious freedom. This is the seventh time the United States
Commission on International Religious Freedom has made this recommendation.
India has not responded to the latest report. However, in March 2025, the
Ministry of External Affairs had said that the commission has a ?pattern of
issuing biased and politically motivated
<https://www.mea.gov.in/response-to-queries.htm?dtl/39257/Official_Spokespersons_response_to_media_queries_regarding_the_2025_Annual_Report_of_United_States_Commission_on_International_Religious_Freedom>
assessments?.
India is among the 18 countries that the commission recommended for
designation as ?countries of particular concern?, along with Afghanistan,
Myanmar, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North
Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and
Vietnam.
?Religious freedom continues to deteriorate?
In the latest annual report, the commission noted that in 2025 ?religious
freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate as the government
introduced and enforced new legislation targeting religious minority
communities and their houses of worship?.
?Indian authorities also facilitated widespread detention and illegal
expulsion of citizens
<https://scroll.in/latest/1082131/bangladesh-detains-123-persons-including-rohingyas-trying-to-enter-from-india-report>
and religious refugees and tolerated vigilante attacks against religious
minority communities,? the report said.
The Union government continued to use anti-terrorism laws to imprison
religious minorities and those advocating on their behalf, it added.
The report noted that activists ?Umar Khalid
<https://scroll.in/tag/umar-khalid>, Sharjeel Imam
<https://scroll.in/tag/Sharjeel-Imam> and several others involved in the
2020 [Citizenship Amendment Act] protests remained in prison for the fifth
year without trials?.
?Throughout the year, Hindu nationalist mobs across several states
harassed, incited, and instigated violence against Muslims and Christians
<https://scroll.in/latest/1089746/bjp-ally-christian-groups-flag-concern-about-violence-against-community-during-christmas-season>with
impunity,? the report said. ?Throughout 2025, violent mobs attacked Muslims
under the guise of protecting state-level cow slaughter laws.?
It also noted that 12 of India?s states have anti-conversion laws
<https://scroll.in/tag/anti_conversion-law>, and that several state
governments strengthened or introduced new legislation in 2025 with broader
definitions of ?religious conversion? and harsher penalties.
End of Goanet Digest, Vol 21, Issue 140
***************************************