Ex-judges, diplomats flag bias in USCIRF religious freedom report

NEW DELHI: A group of 275 former judges, bureaucrats, diplomats and armed forces veterans has raised objections to a recent report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), calling it "disturbing" and lacking balance.In a joint statement dated March 21, the signatories questioned the methodology and conclusions of the USCIRF report, arguing that assessments of religious freedom should be based on long-term demographic trends rather than "selective or episodic narratives." Citing census data, the statement highlighted minority populations in India have remained stable or grown over decades, contrasting this with a decline in Hindu populations in Pakistan and Bangladesh since Partition. According to the signatories, such trends "suggest the overall ecosystem in India has not produced the kind of sustained demographic contraction...that would indicate systemic persecution."The group criticised what it described as a recurring tendency by USCIRF to portray Indian institutions and organisations such as the RSS negatively without sufficient macro-level evidence. It said criticism must be grounded in "verifiable evidence and contextual understanding."The statement further objected to USCIRF's recommendations, including calls for sanctions and restrictions on individuals linked to the RSS, terming them "highly motivated" and lacking credibility.The signatories include former SC judges, high court judges, ex-chief election commissioners, former ambassadors and over 130 retired armed forces officers.Calling India a "robust democracy" with established judicial and parliamentary systems, the group urged the US govt to review the basis of the USCIRF report and also examine its contributors.