Press Statement on Modi Govt’s refusal of Visa to US Commission on Religious Freedom

New Delhi

09th March,2016

I fully support Modi Government’s refusal of Visa to US Commission on International Religious freedom ( USCIRF). This was in line with the earlier UPA government’s policy all these past years.

Disappointment of the Obama Government is understandable but totally unreasonable. Did they ever take stock of Religious Freedom in their allied countries such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan? Why does US need to play the role of ‘big brother’?

As citizens of India, we have our unfettered constitutional rights to fight against all forms of unfreedom including religious bigotry and fundamentalism. I have even supported the J.N.U. S.U. demand to scrap colonial IPC section 124 A on sedition which was grossly abused by the British then and by our governments now. We have a proud long ‘Sanatan’ tradition of Shashtrarth – fierce polemical religious debates. Today masses enjoy and empower themselves through such debates on television and on social media. Violent intolerance is largely condemned across the board.

Just as Muslims or other progressive forces in India do not need RSS certificates of Nationalism, India as a whole does not need US certification of Religious Freedom. Instead the US commission should focus internally on ensuring more equality and freedom for  American blacks, hispanics and minors in prisons etc.

As a footnote, I want to record that couple of years ago, the same US Commission had invited me to depose in US but I had flatly declined.