Indian Veterans Slam USCIRF Report: A Call for Contextual Integrity

A coalition of 275 former Indian judges, officials, and veterans criticized a USCIRF report recommending a ban on the RSS, calling it biased and poorly founded. They urged the US to review the report's contributors for vested interests aiming to undermine relationships with India. Concerns over repeated negative portrayals of Indian institutions were raised.

A diverse group of 275 former Indian judges, civil servants, and veterans have expressed strong opposition to a recent report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). The controversial report suggested banning the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which the critics argue is a biased and unfounded recommendation.

The joint statement, issued on Saturday, implored the US government to conduct thorough background checks on the report's contributors. The critics, including distinguished former Supreme Court judges and ambassadors, perceive the report as having ulterior motives intended to disrupt goodwill between the United States and India.

Specifically, the statement criticized USCIRF's tendency to depict Indian institutions, such as the RSS, negatively without sufficient context or evidence. The coalition of signatories insisted that any critique must be based on verifiable evidence, highlighting India's strong democratic and judicial framework that limits opportunities for religious rights violations to go unaddressed.

(With inputs from agencies.)