The previous 2 parts of the article can be accessed here Part 1, Part 2. This is the third part
How Bharata has long been a target of USCIRF
The 2023 USCIRF report once again alleges that Bharat enforces religiously discriminatory policies that negatively impact Dalits and Adivasis. It further alleges that religious minorities are being harassed with the unlawful demolition of property, and the NGOs are targeted under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
We discuss the status of Dalits and Adivasis in this article with FCRA in the future. The latter has little relevance to unfounded religious discrimination allegations except that many foreign-funded NGOs misused FCRA for unlawful acts. Now, the FCRA process has been tightened for transparency and accountability, and thus severe stomach churning among foreign funders.
Dalits and Adivasis in today’s Bharat
It is undeniable that Dalits and Adivasis received more lip service than due respect and recognition for decades following India’s independence. The unfortunate caste system has been politicized to the hilt with Dalits and Adivasis merely as a vote bank. While they are still the vote bank in the highly politicized Bharat, their status is decidedly changing for the better.
USCIRF is in denial to accept the change. Western media and USCIRF work in hands and gloves to propagate negativity across Bharat rather than accepting its improved infrastructure and technological breakthroughs. One cannot ignore the fact that Bhartiya in general but Hindus in particular have the highest educational attainment in the U.S. They occupy some of the best positions in the U.S. which, at a minimum, causes our own neighbors to feel jealous. Nobody can snatch Hindus’ education and their earning power but the biased USCRIF as well as the State Departments’ report on religious discrimination make those allegations as scapegoat, a sad truth.
For example, today, an Adivasi woman holds the highest constitutional position as Bharat’s President. A newly sworn Chief Minister in Chhattisgarh is also an Adivasi. It did not happen by accident but an intentional act by Prime Minister Modi who is transforming Bharat in an effort to bring equality and equity among all. Modi himself washed the feet of Dalits on several occasions and sat in the crowd next to them as a show of respect and dignity. Such acts by leaders like Modi help bring positive change slowly but steadily.
Despite class inequalities still continuing, India’s first Dalit Billionaire family, currently living in Germany, with Indian passport with pride, is planning to return. He stated, “there is no place like India which has multiple cultures and exciting traditions and he wishes to give back to the nation[1]. In an interview, he highlighted his great plans for homecoming by setting up a cooperative unit in the food processing units.” Stories of such role models escape the biased lens of USCIRF.
According to another media report,” Defying all odds and customs, the Dalit community is witnessing a wave of reform[2]. The rise of hundreds of Dalit millionaires over the years cannot be ignored.” It goes on to say, “Dalit entrepreneurs are turning icons for the vast Dalit community and paving a path for the rest to follow.” Likewise, a recent report, “Pathways to Greater Social Mobility for India’s Dalit and Adivasi Communities” identifies a network of NGOs dedicated toward the upward mobility of Dalits and Adivasis[3].
Admittedly, the plight of average Dalit and Adivasis has a long way to catch up with the rest of society but there are no large-scale atrocities against them. USCIRF has a longstanding bias against India which is getting worse with India ready to stand tall among the developed countries. The prejudiced USCIRF Commissioners and the Western media houses are unwilling to see Bharat developing and rising beyond the shackles of the British Raj (or should I say Christian dominance).
(Lawful) demolition of (Illegally occupied) property.
India-specific report by USCRIF states that the government suppressed critical voices of religious minorities (specifically Muslims) through the demolition of property in addition to surveillance and harassment. The report cites an example of property demolition by none other than the highly biased BBC. It claims that three houses of Muslims were demolished for alleged involvement in street protests and having their homes built unlawfully.
Why USCRIF did not see the factual narration and bigger picture by a well-informed author (Shantanu Gupta)[4]c? He notes, “Out of the top sixty-two noted land mafias, from which a large chunk of the illegal properties was confiscated by the government, only twelve, that is 19.3% are from the Muslim community. He cites another example, “If dreaded criminals Mukhtar Ansari and Atiq Ahmed’s properties were bulldozed then the properties of Vikas Dubey and Vijay Mishra were also bulldozed and confiscated.”
The lawful demolition of property in northern Indian states is a strong action against the land mafia who for decades have illegally grabbed government land and land of the poor farmers. It is neither religion-based nor a symbol of hate against any particular community but justice for victims who were harmed at the hands of politically supported miscreants, syndicate goons, and criminals for decades.
The author hails from northern Uttar Pradesh with the most stringent laws against the land mafia and the so-called ‘love jihad.’ In both instances, the minority religion (Muslims) creates more nuisance than the majority of Hindus. Often, it seems that the 20-80 rule is what the minority religion aspires for i.e., less than 20% Muslims want to dominate more than 80% Hindus who are waking up.
USCIRF cites another report stating, “The attackers looted and destroyed the homes of many Christians and desecrated three churches” under sensational headlines, “Hundreds of Christians in Chhattisgarh forced to flee into forests[5].” In all probability, the churches there may be involved in the forced conversion of impoverished Hindus in Chhattisgarh. USCRIF, historically most Christians or the Abrahamic religions, would not accept such acts by the local churches. It serves USCRIF to have the narrative of skyrocketing Christian persecution coming out of ICC President Jeff King.
USCIRF should take note of the recent outreach by Prime Minister Modi this Christmas[6]. He hosted the church leaders at his residence as a goodwill gesture signifying that Bharat respects all religions.
Sadly, a misguided and poorly informed group of Commissioners continue to label Bharat as a CPC which in my informed opinion is a Country of Profound Confidence. Let us hope that future reports will have more objectivity with at least one Hindu (or a Hinduism scholar) Commissioner at USCIRF.
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
Reference:
[1] Know India’s First Billionaire Dalit Entrepreneur Rajesh Saraiya: Father’s Foresight Carved A Name The World Won’t Forget – Nov 22, 2023, Mad4India
[2] India’s Billionaire Dalits Are Inspiring The Community To Fight All Odds And Assert Themselves – Dec 13, 2017, India Times
[3] Pathways to Greater Social Mobility forIndia’s Dalit and Adivasi Communities – Bridgespan
[4] US senators got it completely wrong: Yogi’s bulldozer is a symbol of strong action against the land mafia, not a symbol of ‘hate’ – Sep 03, 2022, OpIndia
[5] Anti-Christian Riots in India Surge Across 20 Villages – Dec 22, 2022, Persecution
[6] PM’s interaction, Christmas message, home visits: BJP pushes on with Christian outreach – Dec 27, 2023, The Indian Express
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Formerly, a researcher in Italy, Japan, and France, he has widely travelled and came to the US in 1978. He was a faculty and academic administrator in several different universities in PA, TX, NJ, MN, WI, and NY, and an Executive Fellow in the White House S&T Policy during the Clinton administration.
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