Context
- Recently, the US State Department has released its annual International Religious Freedom (IRF) Report 2019, which is a survey of the state of religious freedom across the world.
- The IRF report listed countries for positive developments in religious freedom and negative examples.
- It discussed in detail about mob lynching’s, anti-conversion laws, cow vigilantism and related issues.
- In April, the USCIRF had recommended to the US administration that India be designated a “country of particular concern”.
About United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
- An independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, the first of its kind in the world,
- dedicated to defending the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad.
- reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations and makes policy recommendations
What is Country of Particular Concern?
- According to the USCIRF website, are those countries that “commit systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom”.
- For countries designated as CPCs, USCIRF recommends policy options, including sanctions, to the US state department.
Freedom of Religion under Constitution of India
- Freedom of religion in India is a fundamental right guaranteed by Article 25-28 of the Constitution of India.
1.Article 25 (Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion)
2.Article 26 (Freedom to manage religious affairs)
3.Article 27 (Freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion).
4.Article 28 (Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions)
- Further Article 29 and 30 of the Constitution deal with the protection of interest of minorities.