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1/ The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (#USCIRF)is a federal Govt commission created by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998. Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leaders of both political parties in the Senate and the House. 
2/ It is mandated by the Act to produce an Annual Report on the State of Religious Freedom around the world. It names the most egregious violator countries as 'Countries of Particular Concern' (#CPC). The 2019 Report does not look good for #India, 5 years after a @BJP4India Govt.
3/ India is not a CPC-a Country of Particular Concern. It is a tier-2 country. Other than Cuba and Laos, it is the only non-Muslim-majority country in the list of tier-2 countries (Afghanistan, Malaysia, Iraq, Indonesia, Tajikstan, Bahrein, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Turkey)
4/ The Report makes for uncomfortable reading for India's Government. It does no good for India's ambitions to be a world power and aspiring to project its soft power to leverage influence, earn goodwill, improve trade and bring prosperity to its people. The report names the #RSS
5/ The report names the Hindu right wing RSS - (it claims to be apolitical but is effectively the grassroots support base and ideological fountainhead for the ruling @BJP4India ) and its affiliates.
7/ As does the affiliate organisations of the RSS.
8/ The fears of conversion of Hindus have stoked much religious intolerance of minorities especially Christians and Muslims.
9/ The cow-slaughter laws have led to an increase in religiously motivated hate crimes and these feature in the Report
10/ Most damning in the Report is the account of the failure of the State to deal adequately with incidents of large scale communal violence. Inquiries and commissions take years to investigate and often fail to hold anyone to account.
11/ But there are also remarkable examples of interfaith solidarity and cohesion. See this from Chair Tenzin Dorjee, dissenting from the Report.
12/ Finally, India has not been officially very welcoming of the work of the Commission, refusing visas to members of the Commission to visit India, talk to people and see for themselves.
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