The Unrest Magazine

THE UNREST

An Editorial Initiative of Raman Media Network (RMN)

CONFLICTS ELECTIONS HUMAN RIGHTS | PROTESTS | TERRORISM

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with his supporters is travelling across the country on foot for his Bharat Jodo Yatra. Photo: Congress

Main Stories in This Issue of The Unrest

State Crimes

Complaint Filed Against Delhi Police Officer Crime, Corruption, and Impunity in India Human Rights

U.S. Demands Release of Alexei Navalny Human Rights Violations in the Philippines Financial Crimes

INTERPOL Campaign Exposes Money Mules Widehouse Corruption Scandal in Delhi

Global Conflicts

NATO Helps Ukraine’s Right to Self defence Stories of Politics and Unrest in the World Political Campaigns

Rahul Gandhi Begins Bharat Jodo Yatra Collaboration with RMN Foundation Democracy Dialogue

Dialogue with Belarus Democratic Forces U.S. Resolution on India Gets Stuck

Rahul Gandhi Gets Huge Support in Bharat Jodo Yatra

Congress complains that Modi is attacking democratic institutions in the country and running hate campaigns to divide people on religious lines to gain undue electoral advantages.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is travelling across the country on foot for his Bharat Jodo Yatra or “Unite India March” is getting tremendous support from people everywhere.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi – along with his supporters – is travelling across the country on foot for his Bharat Jodo Yatra. Photo: Congress

Congress had announced the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which began on September 7 from Kanyakumari and will culminate in Kashmir after about 5 months and after covering over 3,500 kilometers. Rahul Gandhi and his supporters walk about 25 kilometers everyday.

The Yatra is being led by Rahul Gandhi who is very popular in India. Congress president Sonia Gandhi will join the Yatra later, as she is unwell at present. While

Congress mainly operates from Twitter, this is the first major field campaign by the party after many years.

The objective of this campaign is to engage with the voters and inform them about the divisive actions of prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi and his government, although Modi operates as a one-man regime.

Congress complains that Modi is attacking democratic institutions in the country and running hate campaigns to divide people on religious lines to gain undue electoral advantages. The Bharat Jodo Yatra will also make people aware of the fact that because of the anti-people policies of the Modi regime, the country is facing unprecedented inflation, corruption, unemployment, and civil unrest.

While Congress is trying to leverage this campaign to defeat Modi and his party in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, it is difficult to defeat him because Modi knows how to win elections and how to form governments where he loses elections.

The main factors that will influence the 2024 Lok Sabha election results are selective manipulation of electronic voting machines (EVMs), managed violence such as Pulwama terror attack, anti-Pakistan rhetoric, false pre-poll promises by politicians, bribes to voters, expensive advertisements to deceive the voters, corrupt media manipulation, and communal hate campaigns.

Meanwhile, Congress has launched an exclusive website for its Bharat Jodo Yatra initiative.

U.S. Demands Release of Jailed Kremlin Critic Alexei Navalny

The hostile action against Navalny has been taken despite a slew of sanctions and censure statements by the U.S. and European leaders against Russia.

The United States says it is deeply concerned by the Russian Government’s escalating, arbitrary interference with Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s rights.

In a statement issued on September 9, the U.S. Department of State said prison authorities have interfered with Navalny’s preparation of his defense and ability to communicate freely with his counsel, including through supervision of his meetings and imposed delays in the exchanges of documents between Navalny and his lawyers.

This interference, according to the statement, along with his repeated diversion to solitary confinement for minor alleged infractions, is further evidence of politically motivated harassment.

The U.S. statement adds that Navalny’s arrest upon return to Russia was already shameful, but the Russian Government’s insistence on harassing him further only highlights its insecurity and fear of those who speak the truth.

“We once again join Navalny’s family, colleagues, and supporters around the world in calling for his immediate release,” the U.S. said in its statement.

Photo: Alexei Navalny / Instagram

Navalny is currently serving a prison sentence after recovering from an assassination attempt, which was allegedly made with orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin. In June 2021, the Russian government had also outlawed Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) by declaring it an “extremist” outfit. Navalny’s FBK has already been declared a “foreign agent” under another draconian law.

The hostile action against Navalny has been taken despite a slew of sanctions and censure statements by the U.S. and European leaders against Russia. It is alleged that after sending him to jail under frivolous charges, the Russian regime is slowly trying to murder Navalny, who is serving a torturous prison sentence near Moscow.

As Navalny, 46, is perhaps the only leader who can challenge Putin’s attempt to rule forever, it is believed that the Putin regime is trying to kill him slowly in jail. Putin has signed a new legislation that will allow him to stay in power until 2036, while his second consecutive and fourth overall presidential term ends in 2024.

PM Narendra Modi Urged to Stop Widehouse Corruption Scandal in Delhi

I sent the following letter to PM Modi with the appeal to stop the Widehouse Corruption Scandal in Delhi.

To September 7, 2022

Mr. Narendra Modi Prime Minister (PM) of India, New Delhi

Subject: Widehouse Corruption Scandal in Delhi

Dear Mr. Modi, This is to inform you and seek your immediate intervention to stop a genocidal crime including corruption, environmental damage, and lethal construction in Delhi.

The citywide racket termed as Widehouse Corruption Scandal is being run by local criminals who operate as management committee (MC) members of Delhi’s cooperative group housing societies in connivance with crooked politicians, corrupt bureaucrats, complicit police officials, dishonest members of judiciary, and builders’ mafia.

Corrupt Actors in the Widehouse Corruption Scandal of Delhi

The dangerous construction under a criminal floor area ratio (FAR) scheme in occupied housing societies where hundreds of thousands of people (men, women, children, and senior citizens) live is spreading lethal dust pollution, noise pollution, and air pollution and causing serious accidents and deaths. Despite numerous complaints from the residents during the past couple of years, the authorities have not stopped construction and corruption. I am also a victim of this crime.

This criminal enterprise is being mainly led by corrupt officials of Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS) of Delhi Government, and Delhi Police. I have given names of some of the accused officials

in my report on the following pages. You are requested to get this entire case investigated in a time-bound manner so that the corrupt officials could be prosecuted and imprisoned at the earliest. Meanwhile, please order to stop this construction in Delhi’s housing societies immediately.

The complete details (including exhibits, official documents, photographs, video links) of the Widehouse Corruption Scandal are given in the attached 44-page document for your perusal and action.

Request for an immediate response. [ This case has been filed at PM website under Registration No. PMOPG/E/2022/0236052 dated September 7, 2022. ]

Thank You

Rakesh Raman

NATO Allies Help Ukraine Uphold Its Right to Self-defence

Mr Stoltenberg highlighted the unprecedented military, financial and humanitarian aid from NATO Allies to help Ukraine uphold its right to self-defence.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to NATO Headquarters on September 9 for a meeting of the North Atlantic Council to address Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine.

Mr Stoltenberg highlighted the unprecedented military, financial and humanitarian aid from NATO Allies to help Ukraine uphold its right to self-defence.

The Secretary General said: “The United States is leading the way. And I welcome the billions of dollars of additional support announced this week. Yesterday I participated in the US-led Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Ramstein. We all agreed on the importance of stepping up and sustaining our military support, so that Ukraine prevails as an independent sovereign state.” In June, NATO leaders agreed a strengthened package of assistance for Ukraine and Mr Stoltenberg underlined that the Alliance would support Ukraine for the long-term.

The Secretary General said the war in Ukraine is entering a critical phase: “In the coming months our unity and solidarity will be tested. With pressure on energy supplies and the soaring cost of living caused by Russia’s war. But the price we pay is measured in money. While the price the Ukrainians are paying is measured in lives. Lost lives, every day. And all of us will pay a much higher price if Russia and other authoritarian regimes see that their aggression is rewarded. If Russia stops fighting, there will be peace. If Ukraine stops fighting, it will cease to exist as an independent nation. So we must stay the course, for Ukraine’s sake and for ours.”

The Secretary General explained how NATO had significantly enhanced its presence in the east of the Alliance, with more troops at higher readiness supported by significant air and naval forces. Mr Stoltenberg said: “All of this makes clear that our commitment to Article 5 is unshakeable. Europe and North America must continue to stand strong together in NATO. In defence of our people, our nations and our values.” Courtesy: NATO

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meeting the U S Secretary of State Antony Blinken at NATO Headquarters on September 9, 2022 Photo: NATO

Short Stories of Politics and Unrest in the World

Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan flared up again on September 12 night, with both sides reporting intense artillery shelling and nearly 100 dead. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Armenia and Azerbaijan "immediate steps to deescalate tensions, exercise maximum restraint and resolve any outstanding issues through dialogue" as per previous agreements. Read More

In north-eastern Ukraine, a counter-offensive has seen the nation's forces recapture swathes of territory, and drive out Russian troops. But in the newly-liberated areas, relief and sorrow are intertwined as accounts emerge of torture and killings during the long months of Russian occupation. Read More

British police have faced criticism from activists and civil liberties groups over their treatment of people who have publicly challenged King Charles III‘s accession to the throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, raising free speech concerns. Read More

The global economy could avert a recession as data points to a potential soft landing, J.P. Morgan analysts said, while adding that the Federal Reserve might have “over-reacted" with the 75 basis point rate hike in July. A clutch of recent data from major economies is suggesting moderating inflation and wage pressures as well as stabilizing consumer confidence. Read More

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on September 14 hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the government had 'given' 1000 sq kms of Indian territory to China. The remarks came less than a day after the two countries completed the disengagement process in the Gogra Heights-Hot Springs area near Patrolling Point-15 in the eastern Ladakh sector. Read More

U.S. inflation is showing signs of entering a more stubborn phase that will likely require drastic action by the Federal Reserve, a shift that has panicked financial markets and heightens the risks of a recession. Some of the longtime drivers of higher inflation spiking gas prices, supply chain snarls, soaring used-car prices are fading. Yet underlying measures of inflation are actually worsening. Read More

INTERPOL Campaign Exposes Use of Money Mules

Money mules are people recruited by criminals, often unwittingly, to transfer funds on their behalf and launder their illicit profits.

INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC) has launched a global awareness campaign to highlight the massive use of money mules in facilitating the movement of criminal proceeds. Money mules are people recruited by criminals, often unwittingly, to transfer funds on their behalf and launder their illicit profits.

Photo: INTERPOL

In May, as a result of operational and analytical support provided to its member countries, INTERPOL published a Purple Notice warning of the growing use of money mule ‘herders’, who regularly seek blanket authorizations to use the personal accounts of victims as their own.

The campaign hashtag, #YourAccountYourCrime, clearly reminds the general public that they are responsible for keeping their accounts safe and that there are consequences for moving money on behalf of a third party. The two-week

campaign (10-26 August 2022) ran on social media and was supported by 34 countries worldwide.

The campaign explained how to stay safe and out of the criminal cycle by exploring: how money muling works how to avoid becoming a victim the risks associated with money muling

In most cases, money mules are recruited as part of wider scams in order to escape the audit trail, adding layers by moving the money further and further away from the original crime.

In August, the suspected ringleader of an international romance scam network was returned to Japan from Ghana to face prosecution. He is alleged to have swindled 400 million yen (USD 3 million) using fake female profiles on matchmaking apps. As part of the IFCACC-supported investigation, police arrested a further 15 accomplices, many of whom were money mules.

Stephen Kavanagh, INTERPOL’s Executive Director of Police Services, said: “Criminals will go to great lengths to recruit money mules, because they play an essential role in distancing themselves from authorities and escaping detection. Money mule schemes can be disguised as employment, romantic relationships or investments, or simply as helping out a friend.”

“At the end of the day, however, moving money for someone else, especially across borders, is risky business. Money mules, whether complicit or not, help perpetuate the criminal cycle and could face prosecution,” said Mr. Kavanagh.

This campaign was developed as part of INTERPOL’s Project TORAID, which aims to strengthen global safety and security by enhancing law enforcement capabilities to

address a wide spectrum of financial crimes. It is funded by the Government of Japan.

UN Report Urges Sri Lanka to Protect Human Rights

The report calls on the Government to immediately end the reliance on draconian security laws and crackdowns on peaceful protest.

Sri Lanka’s new Government should embark on a national dialogue to advance human rights and reconciliation, a UN report urges and calls for accountability and deeper institutional reforms to prevent a recurrence of past violations.

The report acknowledges that Sri Lanka is at a critical juncture in its political life, and is in the midst of a serious economic crisis which has severely impacted the human rights of all communities and people of all walks of life.

This has spurred broad-based demands by Sri Lankans from all communities for deeper reforms and accountability, and gives the Government a fresh opportunity to steer the country on a new path.

For sustainable improvements to take place, however, it is vital to recognise and address the underlying factors which have contributed to the economic crisis, including embedded impunity for past and present human rights violations, economic crimes and endemic corruption.

“Fundamental changes will be required to address the current challenges and to avoid repetition of the human rights violations of the past,” says the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The report released on September 6 calls on the Government to immediately end the reliance on draconian security laws and crackdowns on peaceful protest, reverse the drift towards militarisation and show renewed commitment to, and deliver on, security sector reform and ending impunity. While the security forces recently showed considerable restraint in response to mass protests, the

Government has since taken a harder line approach, arresting some student leaders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and violently suppressing peaceful protests. A heavily militarized environment and culture of surveillance also continues in the north and east of the country.

The report urges the new Government to re-launch a comprehensive and victim-centered strategy on transitional justice and accountability, with a time-bound plan to implement outstanding commitments, including taking steps in relation to the establishment of a credible truth-seeking mechanism and an ad hoc special court. Victims must be given a central role in the design and implementation of all accountability and transitional justice mechanisms.

Expressing concern about the lack of progress to establish the truth about the Easter Sunday bombings in 2019, the report also calls for a follow-up independent and transparent investigation, with international assistance and the full participation of victims and their representatives, to pursue further lines of inquiry.

“The Sri Lankan State, including through successive governments, has consistently failed to pursue an effective transitional justice process to hold perpetrators of gross human rights violations and abuses accountable and uphold victims’ rights to truth, justice and reparations,” the report states.

“Rather, they have created political obstacles to accountability, and actively promoted and incorporated some military officials credibly implicated in alleged war crimes into the highest levels of government.”

In the absence of progress towards accountability at the national level, the report urges other States to cooperate in accountability efforts, including by using available avenues of extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction, to investigate and prosecute crimes under international law committed in Sri Lanka. Additionally, the report urges States to explore further measures targeting those who are credibly

alleged to have been responsible for gross violations and abuses of international human rights law or serious violations of international humanitarian law.

The report outlines the progress of the OHCHR work on accountability, pursuant to Council resolution 46/1, and calls for reinforcement of its capacity.

Courtesy: UN Human Rights Office

Corruption Complaint Filed Against Delhi Police Officer

Complaint against M. Harsha Vardhan, DCP, Dwarka District for dereliction of duty, inaction, and complicity in crime. by CGHS MC at Sector

Mr. Sanjay Arora, IPS

Commissioner of Police Delhi

Copy for Urgent Action to: Chief Justice, Supreme Court of India Chairperson, Lokpal of India Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) Central Vigilance Commissioner, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) of India

Subject: Complaint against M. Harsha Vardhan, DCP, Dwarka District for dereliction of duty, inaction, and complicity in crime with the appeal to suspend his services and initiate prosecution proceedings against him.

Case of Criminal Collusion with Corrupt Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Officials

Request: Delhi Police must file a First Information Report (FIR) in the criminal case of DPS CGHS, Plot No. 16, Sector-4, Dwarka, New Delhi 110 078. Stop construction at DPS CGHS.

Dear Authorities, This is to inform you and seek your immediate intervention to take a punitive action against M. Harsha Vardhan, DCP, Dwarka District, as he has failed to perform his duties honestly.

On September 2, 2022, I called the police as I continue to face an emergency situation because of a criminal construction activity at my housing society (DPS CGHS) that can lead to serious accidents or my death. [ Details including photographs are given in the attached document. ]

Please find attached a 25-page complaint including exhibits, photographs, and hyperlinks to take immediate action and inform me accordingly.

Note: This case has been filed at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India through the CPGRAMS portal with Registration No.: MINHA/E/2022/14207 dated September 8, 2022. I have also complained against M. Harsha Vardhan, DCP, Dwarka District to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India and anti-corruption authority Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) of India. The acknowledgements are given below.

Complaint filed at NHRC against M. Harsha Vardhan on 09/09/2022

Complaint filed at CVC against M Harsha Vardhan Thank You

Rakesh Raman

Council of Europe Opens Dialogue with Belarusian Democratic Forces

The Committee decided to maintain and enhance relations with Belarusian civil society and the opposition in exile.

The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has agreed to hold regular exchanges with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and other representatives of Belarusian democratic opposition forces, following a fruitful exchange of views with Ms Tsikhanouskaya in July.

The Committee invited the Secretary General to set up a “Contact group” within the Council of Europe, in cooperation with representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces and civil society. According to a September 8 statement, the group will regularly report back to the Committee on its activities.

The Chair of the Committee of Ministers, Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, said: “As Presidency, Ireland has prioritized institutional support for those who wish

to build a democratic and free Belarus, one that will work with its European partners to protect human rights and promote the rule of law.

Democratic forces in Belarus have been protesting the brutal regime since August 2020.

Photo: European Parliament (Representational Image)

“In June, I joined Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in addressing the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly. In July, at our invitation, she addressed the Committee of Ministers for the first time. Today’s decision allows for that engagement to continue on a more systematic basis.

“As Sviatlana put it, it will ensure more Council of Europe in Belarus, and more Belarus in the Council of Europe.”

On 17 March 2022, the Committee of Ministers suspended all relations with the authorities of Belarus as a result of the country's active participation in the Russian Federation’s military aggression against Ukraine.

At the same time, the Committee decided to maintain and enhance relations with Belarusian civil society and the opposition in exile.

Crime, Corruption, and Impunity in India

Politicians, bureaucrats, police, and judges have formed a criminal gang in India. The following cases depict how they collude with criminals and commit crimes and corruption with impunity while the ordinary citizens are suffering.

Click the following links for details.

Cabinet Secretariat Case Ministry of HomeAffairs (MHA) Case

Prime Minister Office (PMO) Case Delhi Lokayukta Case

DoPTCase CBI Case

Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Case Supreme Court Case

Delhi Govt Case Delhi Petitions Committee / CVC Case

NHRC Case School Education Case

Environmental Crime Case Lokpal Removal Case

Judicial Corruption Case

RCS Corruption Case

AAPCorruption Case Widehouse Scandal

NHRC Case at UN HRC IAS Group Corruption Case

CPGRAMS Cases PGMS Cases

IAS Corruption Record UNCAC Petition

Delhi Police Case

Petitions and Representations by Rakesh Raman. Up to September 2022

UN Report Highlights Human Rights Violations in the Philippines

The report calls on the Government to revise drug legislation and policies in line with human rights norms and international guidelines.

Amid continuing reports of human rights violations and abuses in the Philippines, including in the context of anti-drug operations, victims still face challenges in seeking justice, a UN report published on September 13 finds.

In the report, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights acknowledges the Government’s commitment to cooperate with the UN human rights mechanisms, including through an innovative UN joint programme on human rights that is being implemented with Government agencies, the national human rights institution and civil society.

The Joint Programme, signed in July 2021, provides technical assistance and capacity-building for reforms in six key areas, including: domestic investigative and accountability measures; data gathering on alleged police violations; the establishment of a national mechanism for reporting and follow-up; civic space and engagement with civil society and the Commission on Human Rights; counter-terrorism legislation; and human rights-based approaches to drug control.

The report, mandated by Human Rights Council resolution 45/33, calls for the new Philippines administration to adopt a transformative approach that looks to rights-based solutions for critical issues, including drug law enforcement and counter- terrorism, and to end divisive rhetoric that puts human rights defenders at risk. While acknowledging some progress in a number of areas, the report notes that considerable challenges remain.

“The Government took some initiatives to advance accountability for human rights violations and abuses… However, access to justice for victims of human rights violations and abuses remained very limited. Institutional and structural shortcomings in law enforcement and the judiciary remained, despite efforts to address some cases,” it says.

Specifically, the report highlights “limited oversight of human rights investigations, inadequate investigation capacity and inter-agency cooperation, limited forensic capacity and protracted judicial processes”. Inadequate support and protection for victims and witnesses, as well as fear of reprisals, also affects victims’ engagement.

To address these concerns, the report recommends that the Interagency Review Panel, established by the Department of Justice, should accelerate its review of all killings related to the Government’s anti-drug operations.

DownloadAll Issues of The Unrest Magazine

December 1-15, 2020 December 16-31, 2020 January 1-15, 2021

January 16-31, 2021 February 1-15, 2021 February 16-28, 2021

March 1-15, 2021

March 16-31, 2021 April 1-15, 2021

April 16-30, 2021 May 1-15, 2021 May 16-31, 2021

June 1-15, 2021 June 16-30, 2021 July 1-15, 2021

July 16-31, 2021

August 1-15, 2021 August 16-31, 2021

September 1-15, 2021 September 16-30, 2021 October 1-15, 2021

October 16-31, 2021 November 1-15, 2021 November 16-30, 2021 December 1-15, 2021 December 16-31, 2021 January 1-15, 2022

January 16-31, 2022 February 1-15, 2022 February 16-28, 2022

March 1-15, 2022 March 16-31, 2022 April 1-15, 2022

April 16-30, 2022 May 1-15, 2022 May 16-31, 2022

June 1-15, 2022 June 16-30, 2022 July 1-15, 2022 July 16-31, 2022 August 1-15, 2022 August 16-31, 2022 September 1-15, 2022

The Panel should also ensure that relevant findings are acted on promptly, including through internal administrative and criminal processes. While some cases have been investigated, these have so far not resulted in convictions and redress for victims. The report calls on the Government to revise drug legislation and policies in line with human rights norms and international guidelines on human

rights and drug policy; to revisit the mandatory penalties for drug offences; and to consider the decriminalization of drug possession for personal use.

The report also recommends that the Government pass proposed legislation on human rights defenders, and implement measures to protect civic space for them to be able to play their legitimate role securely and without reprisals.

Critically, it calls on the Government to take all necessary steps to ensure the continued independence of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, including through a transparent and consultative appointment process for Commissioners in line with the Paris Principles.

The report calls on the Human Rights Council to support the UN Joint Programme and to continue to monitor the situation closely, including progress on accountability.

U.S. Resolution to Designate India as a Country of Particular Concern Gets Stuck

The U.S. ignores the repressive events in India, because its main objective is to earn money from the Indian markets. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) had introduced a resolution on June 21 to condemn human rights violations and violations of international religious freedom in India, including those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and other religious and cultural minorities.

The resolution calls on the Secretary of State to designate India as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act, which has been recommended by the independent, bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for the past three years. However, even after three months, the resolution failed to move forward. In its 2022 annual report released on April 25, the USCIRF has reported a number of religious freedom violations in

India. In 2021, according to the USCIRF report, religious freedom conditions in India significantly worsened.

Screenshot of H Res 1196 Condemning human rights violations and violations of international religious freedom in India, including those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and other religious and cultural minorities.

During the year, the USCIRF report adds, the Indian government headed by PM Narendra Modi escalated its promotion and enforcement of policies—including those promoting a Hindu-nationalist agenda—that negatively affected Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and other religious minorities.

The Modi government continued to systemize its ideological vision of a Hindu state at both the national and state levels through the use of both existing and new laws and structural changes hostile to the country’s religious minorities.

However, the Biden Administration has been ignoring the repeated USCIRF recommendations to designate India as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).

When I (Rakesh Raman) asked the U.S. State Department about the reason for ignoring the USCIRF recommendations on India, it sent me a vague, meaningless

response. [ You can click here to read my communication with the State Department. ]

The U.S. ignores the repressive events in India, because its main objective is to earn money from the Indian markets. That is why instead of taking punitive actions against the despotic Modi government, the U.S. politicians hobnob with Modi and his accomplices in the Indian government.

Meanwhile, the International Religious Freedom Report released on June 2, 2022 by the U.S. Department of State explains that the Indian Constitution provides for freedom of conscience and the right of all individuals to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion; mandates a secular state; requires the state to treat all religions impartially; and prohibits discrimination based on religion. But the authoritarian Modi government has been ignoring the Constitution to persecute non-Hindu communities – particularly Muslims.

The annual Report to Congress on International Religious Freedom the International Religious Freedom Report describes the status of religious freedom in every country. The U.S. Department of State submits the reports in accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

The introduction of resolution by Rep. Ilhan Omar comes after continued violence and threats made against religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians in India. There have been numerous reports of national and state governments condoning harassment and acts of violence made against religious minorities.

In 2019, the Indian Parliament enacted the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which provides a fast track to Indian citizenship only for non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan already residing in India. Rep. Omar says this will open the possibility of rendering millions of Muslims stateless or subject to indefinite detention.

“The Indian government must be held responsible for human right violations against religious and cultural minorities,” said Rep. Omar. “In recent years, the Indian government has been escalating repressive policies against Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Dalits. The United States should stand for religious freedom in India and the fair treatment of all religious minorities. It is past time for the State Department to acknowledge the reality of the situation in India and formally designate India as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act.”

Original co-sponsors of H.Res 1196 include Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA).

Donate: You can click here to donate to RMN News Service.

About the Editor

The editor of The Unrest news magazine Rakesh Raman is a national award-winning journalist and founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation, which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.

Besides working at senior editorial positions with leading media companies, he was writing an exclusive edit-page column regularly for The Financial Express (a daily business newspaper of The Indian Express Group).

Nowadays, for the past 12 years, he has been running his own global news services under the Raman Media Network (RMN) brand on multiple news sites. He runs various environment protection, education awareness, and anti-corruption campaigns, and publishes digital magazines and research reports on different subjects. Earlier, he had been associated with the United Nations (UN) through the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as a digital media

expert to help businesses use technology for brand marketing and business development.

At present, Rakesh is associated with the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project as a Country Expert for India to provide expert research inputs on multiple topics pertaining to democracy and governance. He is also working as an editor for Wikipedia, which is a free online global encyclopedia. You can click here to download and read his full profile.

Collaboration with the Project

THE UNREST news magazine is being published by RMN Foundation, which is the humanitarian initiative of RMN News Service. It is being circulated among different UN agencies, government departments, leading global politicians, international political organizations, colleges / universities, law enforcement agencies, civil society organizations, social activists, and others in India and abroad.

As the founder of RMN Foundation and editor of RMN News Service, I am managing this project independently without any financial or other support. RMN News Service is looking for sponsors and collaborators across the world who can help it expand the content creation activity around this editorial initiative.

Contact Rakesh Raman Founder RMN Foundation 463, DPS Apts , Plot No 16, Sector 4, Dwarka, Phase I New Delhi 110 078, INDIA Call: 9810319059 | Contact by email