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USCIRF recommends designating India as a “Country of Particular Concern”

08 September 2026 10:15 (UTC +04:00)

The report published by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on August 27, 2026, provides information on systematic persecution and human rights violations against national and religious minorities in India, including Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and the Dalit community, APA reports.

According to the report, tougher laws and policies targeting minorities began to be implemented after the party led by Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014.

According to the document, approximately 70% of those held in the country’s prisons have not yet been convicted by a court. Muslims and Sikhs are represented among these detainees at rates higher than their respective shares of the population.

The overburdened judicial system is also exacerbating the situation. Around 40 million cases are awaiting consideration in lower courts, while 6 million cases are pending in higher courts. More than 25% of cases in lower courts have remained unresolved for over five years. The report emphasizes that these delays enable members of minority groups to be held in detention for years without a court verdict. As an example, it cites activist Umar Khalid, who participated in peaceful protests against the Citizenship Act and has been held without a court verdict since 2020 under anti-terrorism legislation.

The document pays particular attention to transnational repression against the Sikh community. It notes the involvement of India’s foreign intelligence agency (R&AW) in unlawful surveillance and assassination attempts targeting pro-independence Sikh activists living in the United States and Canada. Within the country, Sikh farmers advocating for their rights and putting forward agricultural demands are reportedly portrayed by officials and the media as “separatists” and “anti-national elements.”

The report also emphasizes that Dalits face discrimination based on caste and religious belief. Although Dalits constitute a significant proportion of the population in the Sikh-majority state of Punjab, they own only a small fraction of agricultural land. It is also noted that Dalits who convert from Hinduism to Islam or Christianity are deprived of employment, education and social protection benefits intended for lower castes.

According to the document, states such as Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh provide for life imprisonment for certain acts related to cow slaughter or religious conversion deemed illegal. The report states that authorities have failed to take adequate measures against lynchings carried out by radical Hindu groups, including “cow vigilantes,” while local police avoid registering crimes against Dalits and Muslims. It also notes that under a practice referred to as “bulldozer justice,” homes and other properties belonging to minorities are demolished without court orders as a form of collective punishment.

Based on these assessments, USCIRF recommended that the US government designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” and impose targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and visa bans, on officials responsible for the violations.