Religious freedom has always been of particular importance to democratic societies, being one of the most cited reasons for action being taken to overthrow a government in the enlightenment tradition. The natural right to decide and practice your own religion without persecution of the government has become a universally celebrated idea in much of the world, but there are many exceptions to this still. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) was created to identify and suggest sanctions on countries which violate the right to religious freedom, and India has become the latest receptor of a very negative rating.
"The commission, for the first time since 2004, recommended that the State Department designate India as a "country of particular concern," a status it says is reserved for "the worst of the worst." Thirteen other countries have that status, including Iran,North Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia."
This is due to their supposed negative treatment of the large population of Muslims living there, with reports of police supported mobs and unsolicited arrests. An Indian spokesperson responded in a particularly harsh way, highlighting their past acrimonious relationship with the commission.
"[The commission's] biased and tendentious comments against India are not new. But on this occasion its misrepresentation has reached new levels." In a retort to the commission's recommendation that India be designated a "country of particular concern," the spokesperson said the Indian government would now regard the commission as "an organization of particular concern and will treat it accordingly."
The Trump nor Biden administration have levied sanctions against India, and seem to value the opinion of the countries leaders over their own commission. Clearly there is a reason for this- India is an important ally in a region where America does not have much appeal. There is clear hypocrisy in not levying sanctions against India but complying with the commissions request on other matters, so there should be no question that the Biden administration needs to correct this quickly.
This post and topic is something that is immesensly interesting because I had no idea about any of this. I do agree with your statement because the right to practice your own personal beliefs sets the stage for what other freedoms we are allowed in our democracies.