INDIA’s outright rejection of the nonsensical report by the State Department of the United States of America (USA) on minorities’ status in the country is perfectly in tune with the reality on the ground. The critical observations the State Department made about the status and condition of religious minorities in India did not conform to fact and was nothing but a figment of political games some sections of US political leader-class may want to play with in New Delhi. It is obvious from the nature of observations that some elements in the US wanted to make some unprovoked observations against India, arguably on the basis of some politically-motivated complaints from some sections of Indian people, with an idea of maligning the image of the country in the global community.
The Government did the most sensible thing to reject the report outright. The US has no “locus standi” in the matter, India asserted in no uncertain terms. This response has a satisfying tinge of national pride as well as full faith that minorities are treated with great respect in the country. It is pertinent here to assert that the point of the US not having a “locus standi” in the matter, however, is of lesser importance. What matters more is not the locus standi but the falsehood that the US has tried to foist on India as part of its “Report On International Religious Freedom” published by the State Department.
The Indian rejection asserts, in effect, that the US was carrying an uncalled for prejudice with uncouth political colouration, particularly soon after the successful conduct of the democratic elections to the Lok Sabha when all dividing walls of the society seemed to have melted away in a big measure, when the electoral process opened itself to an increasing extent of casteless voting pattern. India has, therefore, done well to reject the report that tried to play up utter falsehood.
It is more than clear to the world that constitutionally India guarantees fundamental rights of all citizens and stands by complete freedom to all people to practise their respective religions and follow their respective faiths with a sense of spiritual fulfillment. The few elements in the country trying to play up communal passion and create social divides have been on a continuous decline in India for the past many decades. The political parties that have often thrived on religious differences also are getting defeated in a big way, as was clear from the past two elections. It is unfortunate that the US State Department did not see this reality in India and got played into the hands of a few politically-motivated elements that seemed interested in maligning the image of country internationally.
Of course, the State Department’s report talks of a global phenomenon, which it may do as part of its task of watching the world in all aspects. Yet, it has no right to paint a wrong picture of India on a global stage. Any such effort must be interpreted as interference in Indian matters by the US that has no locus standi in any internal matter. But more importantly, we assert that the report was rejected because it tried to play up utter nonsense against India.
Over time, India has evolved itself into a vibrant democracy in which every person has an equal share in the decision-making process not just through his adult franchise but also through participation in the thought-process in favour of a legitimate and genuine national agenda. However, instead of understanding what is actually happening in India, the report seems to have sought to malign India’s image globally by spreading falsehood. Every Indian anywhere in the world would join the Government in rejecting the US State Department’s “Report on International Religious Freedom”. At this stage, we also caution the United States against any uncalled for interference in India’s internal matters of delicate dimensions.