Anti-Hindu Bias at U.S. Commission

This report is no surprise. And way US govt Banned Mr.Narendra Modi with out even ascertaining facts goes clearly to show that there is lot of Bigotry in US Gov Administration.

Just like the two white girls in Video http://bit.ly/JYfqM

And Indian English Media specifically NDTV or CNN-IBN just like to reproduce what ever American Views when it comes to be against Majority Hindus of India.

CCNL1, you copy and paste like a champ. keep that CTRL-C command rockin'!

It is very clear that USCIRF is a heavily biased organization which is well funded by evangelists, whose main goal is to convert Hindus by hook or by crook. The reason India is on this watch list is because, these organizations are now being prevented from exploiting people's poverty to convert them.

US has miles to catch up with the openess of Indian culture and heritage..they have just climbed the first rung, by electing their first african american president.

This report is bogus and USCIRF has lost all credibility among Indians and Indian americans...they might as well change their name to something more appropriate to reflect their real intentions.

The probability wave detector shows the insidious nature of these waves:

Observer12,
Observer31,
Yael1,
ivri5678,
Billy8,
nadinebatra,
stadtbear,
Spark1,
Shark2,
Spidermean3,
DOUG_WHITE,
FTH123
MANSOUR112,
hsnkhwj,
Zebra4,
Captn_Ahab
James210
and liveandlove
DOULGASLBARBER
arancia12
Whistling
pgibson
stadtbear
r92531 R.H. Malick
pastorred68
EFAVORITE
SECULARGURU |
Muckenfuss
anti-davidwaters
Carstonio
Concernedex-JewNowLiberated
New world
IVRI#
Homeland1

testing

And the odd and strange probability wave named Homeland1 continues to infect this thread!!

There is a cure for this inane behaviour and it is called HONESTY!!!

BTW, the probability wave detector has identified the following waves that periodically show up on the On Faith commentary pages:

India does not need confirmation from any country or its organizations like the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), to establish its credibility as a democratic , multi-religious, multi-ethinic and mutilingual country.

For thousand of years, it has accepted, respected and has offered sanctuary to a number of persecuted religious groups from all the corners of the world. The very first Christian church was established in India by St. Thomas, after the crucifiction of Jesus. So was a Jewish Synogogue in early first millenium. The Zorastrians from Persia being driven out by the Muslims, found a home in India.

Even in the modern times, India had the distinction of electing a Muslim President, a Sikh Prime Minister, a number of Christian Cabinet Ministers, and a Christian Party President.

It has taken US hundreds of year to accept an Afro-US President.

It is time, US policy towards India should be directed by people of vision, statesmanship and above all fairness, instead of by the parochial, bull-necked, bureacrats.

A lesson of political and religious history of the world will help them to understand and distinguish between stray incidents and 'state sponsered oppression'.

To include India in this list, is not fair, in fact it has hurt the sentiments of millions of Indians, in India and in North America who take pride in what India stands for.

It is time the present US administration take measures to distinguish itself as a fair and balanced country with proper perspactive of international events and their impact on their relationship with such countries, as India.

I wonder what is the background of the member os the USCIRF. I wonder if they are independent or made up of representatives from fundamentalists constituencies like Texas, Oklahoma, Utah, Mississipi etc. After Tsunami disaster, many churches wanted to take undue advantage of the tragedy to got help those affected and then subtley convert them to christianity. NGOs and the local governments gave a blunt message: come and help if you want to as individuals, or work through the local organizations. They refused because their sinister motive of duping the government and the simple folks of India was challenged. Let us appreciate lots of work many christians have done where hindus have failed. But let us crack down on anyone attacking what is good in Hinduism: ultimate freedom to pick and choose your faith, your object of worship, your philosophy, your prayers, your idol, your preist, or lack of it all.

I am surprised that a US based organization would hold such bias against a fellow democratic, secular nation. Perhaps, the good members of the USICRF should do their homework better.

India has been secular long before it became a nation; one need only look at the creeds of Ashoka or Akbar to know that. To a people that celebrate cultural diversity as much as they respect communal solidarity, the very idea of even the need of secular law is foreign.

In fact, it is refreshing for me, an Asian Subcontinent American, to visit India to discover the level of tolerance that is maintained. The Vedic chants in Hindu temples and the beckoning hymns in Hindu homes, are often mixed by the calls to prayer in local mosques and the chimes of church bells. And one is not in India if he/she does not see Muslim men relaxing on a warm summer day in Hindu-run coffee shops, surrounded by images of Hindu gods. This is diversity at its finest, requiring nothing more than the affections of people to make it work.

I just had a look at the USCIRF report - India chapter and it appears that the real reason India is placed on watch list is to argue against and remove the growing tendency in India of enacting laws regulating illegal/forced conversions. If these laws remain in place, then Christian Organizations in US can't very well claim to have converted a huge number and get funded even more by the evangelists. In this case USCIRF is acting out what Dr. Shukla pointed out: it is representing the Baptist, Catholic, etc. congregations and not secular, democratic people. USCIRF should be subjected to the same conditions such as term limits, etc. so it can not become a playground of the entrenched interests.

True freedom can be found only in Hinduism. It is like a river always fresh and open for growth.
Hindus are most tolerant to other religion or cults.
Every faith has its basics in Hinduism.
Hindu never said all other ways of reaching God is false. Actually Hinduism is a must for the world to live in peace, protect environment.
Hinduism is the oldest way of living and culture and will be there till this earth exists.
We have seen so many attacks on it in history, but it will not end because of its essence. Any people without prejudice and with rational thinking and with thorough knowledge of Hindu Culture will surely like it.
In India the activities of Missionaries must be stopped since they are not doing any better to the society. It is just for a political gain.

A very informative site:
http://refugees-in-their-own-country.blogspot.com/

Dr. Shukla,

Thank you for this article. It is refreshing to see sincere and factual support for Hinduism. The USCIRF has absolutely no credibility and has deteriorated into a gang of Abrahamic zealots with a "Taliban" mentality.

Under the guise of religious freedom, the "Commission" has displayed its ignorance. Hindus are the majority (80%) in India, but minorities like Sikhs (2%), Christians (2%), and Muslims (12%) actually have disproportionalte political power. The current PM is Sikh, and the most powerful politician in India is Christian. The Defence Minister is a Christian, and the past-president was a Muslim. Hindus are extremely tolerant as a majority. Try to find a similar situation in a nation that is 80% Muslim, Christian, or Jewish and see if a 2% minority is President or Prime Minister.

The killing of Hindus in their own country is ignored by the Commission. Many times more Hindus have been killed by Muslims and Christian in India, than visa versa. Yes, you read that correctly. Those interested in facts instead of anti-Hindu propaganda by the Commission should read noted French journalist and writer Francois Gautier (he is a Westerner like us and so he has some credibility, unlike brown Hindus from India). Please take a little time and read about the "Holocaust of Hindus" as Mr. Gautier calls it. The web site is:
http://www.fact-india.com/

P.S. Writers like Kert1 below are good examples of ignorance and/or intetionally destructive tendencies when he writes "India lack of religious freedom is well known". "Well known"?
My guess: Kert1 is a typical disingeuous Christian zealot who is less interested in religious freedom than converting others and spreading his superior but intolerant faith.

The real questions are: Why are Muslims and Christians supremacists? Why can't they leave others alone to practice their religion FREELY? Why claim to be superior and convert others, especially if it leads to conflict?

And the odd and strange probability wave named Homeland1 continues to infect this thread!!

There is a cure for this inane behaviour and it is called HONESTY!!!

Thank you for your opinion piece, which should be of interest even to people who are not from the Indian sub-continent. To me, too, (and I do not have origins there) it seems highly inappropriate to put India in the same category as Egypt, where there seems to be significantly more governmentally-condoned hostility and worse towards people of different faiths. I think that one possible problem with the reports is that I do not see where there is an opportunity for governments to present their perspectives on the conclusions.

By the way, the link to the commission is www.uscirf.gov

For those of you wanting to contest what Dr. Shukla says and those who would want more of the same, there is a new book that deals extensively with religious conflict in India.

http://www.amazon.com/defeating-political-islam-new-cold/dp/1591027047

And the odd and strange probability wave named Homeland1 again infects this thread!!

There is a cure and it is called HONESTY!!!

This article is a defence of Hinduism from organized attacks from entities such as USCIRF. As stated here, this organization, through it's history, finds it convenient to turn a blind eye to persecution of any minorities that are not Christian. This basically undermines it's right to preach to the non-western 'others' regarding their 'religious rights abuse' etc. Also easy enough is to notice that in India's case, the tolerant pluralistic ethos of centuries is completely ignored, since other than Missionary inspired organizations & people, no other people in India ever have claimed Religious persecution through out it's history. The clear interest in keeping India as a 'free land of soul harvesting' is evident in the way this debate is framed. Here, 'Religious Freedom' only means freedom to undermine the host culture & Convert the gullible & poor to alien 'faiths' through inducement.

The lack of even handedness in USCIRF is clear from it's total ignoring, among many things, the wholsale 'ethnic cleansing' of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir by another intolerant Abrahamic 'faith'. They are now refugees in their own country. This is the price India pays for it's tolerance, and still, USCIRF would lecture hindus on tolerance. The comments here attacking Hinduism are no doubt inspired by the Abrahamic 'Monotheistic' ethos of Monopolizing the common people's approach to the divine, both in Christianity & Islam. Luckily for the West, it has it's few centuries of Enlightenment thought which freed it from the clutches of a dominant church.

Commenters & other readers must realize that India (when left to itself) with its Hindu/Buddhistic & other Dharmic ethos has been practicing all that is preached in the name of Religious Rights for centuries. By attacking Hinduism for perceived ills based on selective & motivated news & views, they may be encouraging the slide back to the same totalitarian views of the pre-Enlightenment Western world.

This article is a defence of Hinduism from organized attacks from entities such as USCIRF. As stated here, this organization, through it's history, finds it convenient to turn a blind eye to persecution of any minorities that are not Christian. This basically undermines it's right to preach to the non-western 'others' regarding their 'religious rights abuse' etc. Also easy enough is to notice that in India's case, the tolerant pluralistic ethos of centuries is completely ignored, since other than Missionary inspired organizations & people, no other people in India ever have claimed Religious persecution through out it's history. The clear interest in keeping India as a 'free land of soul harvesting' is evident in the way this debate is framed. Here, 'Religious Freedom' only means freedom to undermine the host culture & Convert the gullible & poor to alien 'faiths' through inducement.

The lack of even handedness in USCIRF is clear from it's total ignoring, among many things, the wholsale 'ethnic cleansing' of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir by another intolerant Abrahamic 'faith'. They are now refugees in their own country. This is the price India pays for it's tolerance, and still, USCIRF would lecture hindus on tolerance. The comments here attacking Hinduism are no doubt inspired by the Abrahamic 'Monotheistic' ethos of Monopolizing the common people's approach to the divine, both in Christianity & Islam. Luckily for the West, it has it's few centuries of Enlightenment thought which freed it from the clutches of a dominant church.

Commenters & other readers must realize that India (when left to itself) with its Hindu/Buddhistic & other Dharmic ethos has been practicing all that is preached in the name of Religious Rights for centuries. By attacking Hinduism for perceived ills based on selective & motivated news & views, they may be encouraging the slide back to the same totalitarian views of the pre-Enlightenment Western world.

This article is a defence of Hinduism from organized attacks from entities such as USCIRF. As stated here, this organization, through it's history, finds it convenient to turn a blind eye to persecution of any minorities that are not Christian. This basically undermines it's right to preach to the non-western 'others' regarding their 'religious rights abuse' etc. Also easy enough is to notice that in India's case, the tolerant pluralistic ethos of centuries is completely ignored, since other than Missionary inspired organizations & people, no other people in India ever have claimed Religious persecution through out it's history. The clear interest in keeping India as a 'free land of soul harvesting' is evident in the way this debate is framed. Here, 'Religious Freedom' only means freedom to undermine the host culture & Convert the gullible & poor to alien 'faiths' through inducement.

The lack of even handedness in USCIRF is clear from it's total ignoring, among many things, the wholsale 'ethnic cleansing' of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir by another intolerant Abrahamic 'faith'. They are now refugees in their own country. This is the price India pays for it's tolerance, and still, USCIRF would lecture hindus on tolerance. The comments here attacking Hinduism are no doubt inspired by the Abrahamic 'Monotheistic' ethos of Monopolizing the common people's approach to the divine, both in Christianity & Islam. Luckily for the West, it has it's few centuries of Enlightenment thought which freed it from the clutches of a dominant church.

Commenters & other readers must realize that India (when left to itself) with its Hindu/Buddhistic & other Dharmic ethos has been practicing all that is preached in the name of Religious Rights for centuries. By attacking Hinduism for perceived ills based on selective & motivated news & views, they may be encouraging the slide back to the same totalitarian views of the pre-Enlightenment Western world.

NOMASTe' Mr. SHUKLA & CO; 3-Three things:

1)
VOTE: "Abolish/Remove the 1998 U.S. CONGRESS's unJUST "US-CIRF." It was created Contrary to the U.S. CONSTITUTION; Like They un Constitutionaly Established "A CHURCH" within the our FEDERAL Structure in their (not oUR) own Institutions {i.e., Prison Chaplains, Military etc.. like a Vatican] concieved via some Unethical, maybe Imoral lobbying, by some Pre-Apocalyptic Religious folk/characters, from a specific Jealous, coverted gods soldiers, via Sneaky/Suspicious Behaviours&tacktics...; Please Revisit, under OBAMA, this Biased SYMBOLIC CANNIBAl & SYMBOLIC VAMPIRE Run Nation? , a Jealous Tool to defend ones 'unspoken' but aknowleged [i.e. Lumanati's secret Orgs?] National Religion [Christian; Lovers of Rabbi Jesus/Yashua the JUdeo-JU]???

2)
The Islamic Global "AL TAQIYAH"ists already "stole/Robbed" a big SWAT/chunk of what was once Peacefull-INDIA Heart/territorys. These Saudi Arabian WHABi's In'tnl-Vintriloquists folks, EXPORT ISLAM & "SHARIA" via Mosques/like Embassys into sweet India, Pakistan(s), Kashmere & elswhere. BEWARE India, Please Listen/Harken Sweet AMERICA U.S. CIRF COMMISH et al: Islam (A religion Adapted by EX-Idol Worshiperrs turned, suddenly got, 'STOLEN Abrahamic Judeo-'ALLAH-ians') by Proxy via Pakistan wants CASHMERE; They are Worse than Ancient Israeli's. Note: Saudi ARABIA by Proxy Owns their "SHIA-A-BOMB"!??

3)
The VEDIC "HINDUTVA" movement of INDIA, Domestic & Exported; To USA, In Kashmere & Elsewhere.. is as real as apple pie. Note the VEDIC "DHALI LAMA Movement, whom have their own Conspiracy of a 'Word' to Conquor Western-World via His Monks-Armys & CO., are on a Global Campaign to reach into ones Brain & not Only Pocket/Check-Books now. Suddenly ex-GEETAites turned BUDDHIST-MONKS are now taking ove SCIENTOLOGY with a twist; by cornering the Quasi-PSYCHIATRISTS/PSYCHOLOGIST Domains/Niches; a Multi Billion Dollar Religious Enterprise! Note: MONKS, who don't have to work, so they-have-NO-Stress, or as much, must have a Graduation Degree/Diploma from some TEMPLE/School/Madrassa/Yashiva as if an Acrredited "Mental-Control/Stress Institution in order to help-you? regulate or move a 'CLIENTS" Brainfunction(s) & your Neural Activitys from RIGHT Side of Brain (Negative side) to the RIGHT side of brain (Positive/Goodside) via MEDiTATION (listening to SELF instead of PRAYiNG; talking to "IT"/G-D; not a HE or a SHE)?.

continued 2 of 2:

The article is written in a spirit of defending the traditions of India, essentially "Unity in Diversity". Unfortunately, the history of Abrahamic religions has a thread of Dogmatic Intolerance of others' viewpoints running through it. Luckily for the West, Enlightenment thought of the past few centuries has rescued free thinking from the clutches of a centralized church.

Those who attack the article, and broadly, Hinduism, are making common cause with USCIRF as it stands now, an organization dedicated to lecturing the 'other' on how to handle Minorities. In it's case it's beneficiaries are invariably are Christians & not the many many others who never get the attention & favor of their high power microscopes. Case in point are the 500,000 Kashmiri minority Hindus who are refugees in their own country, due to another unchecked Abrahamic strain, that of Islamism with it's familiar 'mandate' to kill & convert.

With ref to Religious freedom, one needs to notice that again it is the well connected & funded Missionary Christian (& Islamic) organizations & their supporters that complain about this in India. No other group, not even native Christians & Muslims have ever complained about trouble in practising their faith.

This just underscores the point that for these Proselytizers, 'Religious Freedom' only means freedom to run rampant in India to Convert the gullible simple villagers, of which India has many.

People need to read India's unbiased History of tolerance & promotion of Diversity, and think a little deeper whether they want diversity or prefer to revert to pre 17th century world, controlled by Churches & Mosques.

Finally, a voice that echoes my sentiments regarding India and America! HAF’s Aseem Shukla identifies what has clearly been missing – a clear and honest voice acknowledging all the issues and asking for a fair representation of the complex history of India and the South Asian region. My experience in India in the 1980s – returning after living in northeastern America for 11 years, to finish high school and go to college – reinforced the pluralism written in our US constitution and in my faith. My experience as a visitor to India over the last two decades gives credence to the coercive conversion techniques he mentions and the tensions caused by outsiders to the multifaceted Indian socio-economic scene. As a Hindu American interfaith activist, I would like to see the USCIRF answer the questions raised and expand beyond the Abrahamic faiths. Thank you, Aseem!

NAMASTE.
ON THIS 62ND INDEPENDENCE DAY OF OUR MAHABAHRAT- MYSELF A PROUD INDIAN-THANK WHOLE FEARTEDLY MR.ASEEM SHUKLA AND CONGRATULATE HIM FOR THIS CRUSADE AGAINST INJUSTICE TOWARDS OUR NATION.
HATS OFF SIR,ASEEM SHUKLA!!!!
WE TRUE INDIANS NEED MANY MORE LIKE YOU TO BRING OUT THE GLORY OF OUR COUNTRY.
IT IS SAID --

SUCCESS IS ICE COLD-

NATURAL --- THE ADVANCED COUNTRIES TRY TO HAVE RETAIN THEIR SUPRIMACY BY HOOK OR CROOK.

THAT IS THE GAME OF THE DAY.

MAXIMUM RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE RATHER ACCECEPTENCE IS ONLY IN INDIA IN THIS WHOLE WIDE WORLD.
GOVT.GIVES HOLIDAYS FOR EVERY RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL---HINDU, CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM FESTIVALS.
EVEN IN USA ---YOU DONT SEE THAT KIND OF GESTURE TOWARDS OTHER RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS.
AS FAR AS I KNOW HINDUS HERE IN USA CELEBRATE THEIR FISTIVALS ON THE SUNDAYS WHICH FOLLOW THEIR FESTIVALS.

YES, SOME FO THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES ARE SPENDING IN INDIA IN THE NAME OF CHARITY INDIRECT WAYS OF SPREADING THEIR RELIGION.

IT IS SAID "CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME"---
WHY NOT THESE MISSIONAERIES FIRST HELP THEIR OWN COUNTRY PEOPLE AND RECTIFY THEIR "ILLS IN THEIR WAY OF LIVING --FIRST BEFORE THEY THINK OF RECTIFYING OTHER COUNTRIES SPECIALLY INDIA---

ANY SANE PERSON WHO READ INDIAN HISTORY KNOWS --THE BASIC TOLERENCE ATTITUDE OF INDIANS--WHICH HAS ALLOWED EVERY RELIGION TO NOT ONLY COME INTO INDIA---BUT ALSO MAKE TI THEIR HOME.

I WISH EVERY EDUCATED PERSON READS INDIAN HISTORY AND ABOUT SWAMI VIVEKANANDA'S VISION ABOUT THE WORLD AND PEACE.

WE LIVE AND LET LIVE.

LIKE A MOTHER WHO DEPRIVES HERSELF TO FEED HER CHILDERN---IN ANDHRA PRADHESH --GOVT. SPONSERS FOR MUSLIMS TO GO TO MAKHA DURING RAMADAN!!!!

NO HINDU HAS THAT PRIVILEGE ,GOVT. SPENDING FOR HIS VISIT TO HIS HOLY PLACE .

YES, PEOPLE LIKE MR.ASEEM SHUKLA SHOULD DRAW ATTENTION TOWARDS SUCH INJUSTICE AT SO CALLED HIGH PLACES.

ENOUGH OF BENDING OUR BACKS---

LET US UNITE --A CRUSADE AGAINST INJUSTICE TO MAHABHARAT.

JAI HIND.

And the odd and strange probability wave named Homeland1 again infects a thread!!

Could it be the mad impersonator has returned??

The probability wave detector has btw identified the following as possible waves:

Observer12,
Observer31,
Yael1,
ivri5678,
Billy8,
nadinebatra,
stadtbear,
Spark1,
Shark2,
Spidermean3,
DOUG_WHITE,
FTH123
MANSOUR112,
hsnkhwj,
Zebra4,
Captn_Ahab
James210
and liveandlove
DOULGASLBARBER
arancia12 |??
Whistling
pgibson
stadtbear
SUSAN_JACOBY
r92531 R.H. Malick
pastorred68
EFAVORITE
SECULARGURU |
Muckenfuss
anti-davidwaters
Carstonio
Concernedex-JewNowLiberated
New world
IVRI#
Homeland1

Even a good atheist follows the rule "Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness" but of course we are only talking about probability waves here.

The flaws in the history and theology of Islam:(for those eyes that have not seen)

Mohammed was an illiterate, womanizing, lust and greed-driven, warmongering, hallucinating Arab, who also had embellishing/hallucinating/plagiarizing scribal biographers who not only added "angels" and flying chariots to the koran but also a militaristic agenda to support the plundering and looting of the lands of non-believers.

This agenda continues as shown by the massacre in Mumbai, the assassinations of Bhutto and Theo Van Gogh, the conduct of the seven Muslim doctors in the UK, the 9/11 terrorists, the 24/7 Sunni suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers, the 24/7 Shiite suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers, the Islamic bombers of the trains in the UK and Spain, the Bali crazies, the Kenya crazies, the Pakistani “koranics”, the Palestine suicide bombers/rocketeers, the Lebanese nutcases, the Taliban nut jobs, and the Filipino “koranics”.

And who funds this muck and stench of terror? The warmongering, Islamic, Shiite terror and torture theocracy of Iran aka the Third Axis of Evil and also the Sunni "Wannabees" of Saudi Arabia.

Current crises:

The Sunni-Shiite blood feud and the warmongering, womanizing (11 wives), hallucinating founder.

I'm an Indian staying in India and here is my perspective
of this. If you drive through the roads in India you will find many mosques and temples either at the corner of the road or at the middle of the road and the govt does not dare to touch them fearing that it would evoke violent protests.

In my city virtually every mosque has a loud speaker on top of them and my Muslim brethren begin praying at 5:30 am every day and repeat it six to seven times a day and you can hear it 5 miles away as well. Nobody complains and nobody fights. The Hindus block the entire main road
during one of their festivals to carry our processions. They too erect stalls besides the roads and play devotional songs at deafening sound levels during the festivities but nobody seems to complain.

Even Muslim Arab countries don't allow such broadcasting.
Do you have such religious freedom in your country ? You would sue anyone who does something like this.

During Ramzaan , In Hyderabad , your would find the roads to the Charminar, a historical monument , blocked so that they can cut goats on the main roads , use the road as praying ground. Neither does the govt nor the people object.

The fact is that Indians adjust to an extent which Americans would never be able to do. They live and let live and those who can't don't return to this country after going abroad for higher studies.

There has been a lot of foreign direct investment in the city of Hyderabad in the past six years. There are areas in the city where communal riots used to flare up at the slightest provocation. Now they don't. Last year there was a bomb blast near a prominent and important mosque but the situation was peaceful. The people living in that area have found direct or indirect employment due to the FDI in the city. Today they understand that wasting their time fighting means losing an opportunity to earn. Having seen the befits of free market economy, uneducated people are sending their children to US, UK and Australian universities.

Can you explain why the United States of America attacked Iraq and killed thousands of innocent people
, both Iraqis and American soldiers ? Can you publish
how you captured and tortured innocent people after the 9/11 attack ? There was no such knee jerk reaction India against Muslims after the recent terror attacks in Mumbai.

My neighbors and coworkers are Muslims and I'm a
Hindu and we are good friends. During communal riots we express our disappointment and hope that the benefits of
liberalization reaches every corner of Indian society
so that everybody focuses on personal development and
gets a chance to channel their energies to prove themselves by working hard.

@KERT1: See: http://india_resource.tripod.com/social.htm

KERT1 said

"There is also the problem of the caste system which condemns many poor Indian's to a pitiful life that they can't escape. It is sad when the religion promotes this and prevents others from helping humans."

Before you blame India's caste system, which is rapidly diminishing with rapid modernization you shold look at the genocide and slavery commited by Christians in your own country. How about the massive pedophilia committed by the Church personnel?

So, before you prescribe conversion to Hindus, you should take the same medicine and convert out of Christian Fundamentalism.

Besides, conversion did not help in Phillipines and South America, they are lot poorer than India and twice colonized.

Why should Indians follow a failed prescription?

The foundations of all religions fail from severely flawed history and theology:

For Hinduism:

Hinduism (from an online Hindu site) -

"Hinduism cannot be described as an organized religion. It is not founded by any individual. Hinduism is God centered and therefore one can call Hinduism as founded by God, because the answer to the question ‘Who is behind the eternal principles and who makes them work?’ will have to be ‘Cosmic power, Divine power, God’."

The caste/laborer system, reincarnation and cow worship/reverence are problems when saying a fair and rational God founded Hinduism."

Current crises:

The caste system and cow worship/reverence.

The author of this piece hits bulls eye. The commissions bias is clear when it is noted that India is clubbed with the likes of Somalia, where as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other nations are not mentioned.
This does not add to the credibility of the organization.

M.Patlolla

That says it all! These guys or gals at USCIRF have a bias and they wanted to go to India to present their narrow, one-sided views and create more disharmony by visiting "select locations" within the country. When that was not possible they besmirched and stigmatized the whole country.
The days of Colonialism are long over. India is an independent country. It can say yes, or no, to the visit of any dubious organization. India does not need certificate of approval from USCIRF. On any given day, India is a "thriving pluralistic society". Internal problems are best fought internally (internal forces are doing it already) rather than external organizations coming in and inflaming the situation by siding with "certain communities".
I commend Prime Minister Singh (bravo Sardar!) for denying the visa to this self serving organization. Mr. Prime Minister, they showed how peevish and vicious they are!

Also The Indian Government has continually refused to let Human Rights watch/ Amnesty International/OHCHR into Indian occupied Kashmir for independent investigations. The Indians know what an independent investigations results would be and therefore come up with base immoral excuses all the time.

I mean Official Indian sources quote that there are not more than 1500 militants active in J&K, then what is the rationale behind having more than 800,000 armed Indian troops on the ground in Kashmir.

YOU INDIANS WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THE PAIN OF US POOR KASHMIRIS (HEOUND YAAR GOW KAVEOUR NAAR-AN OLD KASHMIRI PROVERB)....cause you don't have to live in a garrison/concentration camp day in and day out.

I totally disagree with the above writer, India has killed a 120,000 plus innocent Kashmiri Muslims under the garb of democracy/secularism. India is the only country in the world where in the 21st century innocent Muslims and Christians are burnt alive so that they achieve NIRVANA according to Hindu Beliefs and customs.

Whether it is Godhra or Kandhamal or Karnataka or Babri Masjid or the killing fields of Muslim majority Kashmir, Indians(Read Hindus) have perpetrated gruesome acts against humanity and have continually gone scot free.

Indians believe they are Gods and therefore can do no wrong and that is why such write ups come up even after gruesome killings that would make Hitler turn inside his grave

The world needs to act now and save hundreds of thousands of non-Hindus in India and its occupied territory of Kashmir.

What this writer describes as riots between "Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat" and between "Hindus and Christians" in Orissa is totally false.

Both riots were totally one-sided Hindus commiting genocide of Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 and Hindus burning down Christian churches in Orissa even on Christmas day in 2007.

India's judicial system is now taking action against those in Gujarat government who not only overlooked the killing of Muslims in Gujarat but many of them actually participated in organizing anti-Muslim hysteria leading to those riots.

Despite those failings, I actually admire India for not giving up secularism and democracy.

I think the author hit the nail on the head.

Their study is one sided and clearly represents and evangelical slant. It makes good reading for the Sunday flock who will be encouraged to 'contribute' to the conversion money making machine.

It doesn't matter what vocation the author follows, his arguments are logical and succinct.

This is the first article I read in Western Media that printed article about what is truly happening to Hindus and India. Since Hindus are passive, they usually do not come out and talk - other religious groups taking advantage of us. We need more people like Aseem Shukla who courageously bringing out the truth. I greatly congratulate Aseem Shukla and wish him all the best.

Many will always get a kick out of trying to say bad things about decent and progressing places like India, the US, Europe, etc. It gets old, and unfortunately for these naysayers, the evidence and momentum is against them--India is rising yet again, and the world is taking notice.

With a booming economy and the most diverse population today and in history, its nonsensical to hear the references to caste constantly made--despite its problems, the nation has done a tremendous amount for all its citizens--nobody walks around with a "caste" card on their clothes the way Jews, slaves,or Serfs were treated in many other countries--its a pathetic attempt to try to make India look bad--nobody asks about or knows another's caste--its fun way for people to just say nonsense--it is an extraordinary democracy where all people vote--their are poor people of all backgrounds and religions--its truly absurd when people inside or outside of India like to try to compartmentalize a vast and booming country like India.

Anyone who has spent any time in India’s villages, cities, schools, companies, or marketplaces, knows Indians of all social strata, religions, and backgrounds intermingle, work, and live together just fine the overwhelming majority of the time. To think otherwise in the land where Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism were born, where 3 Muslim presidents have been elected, where some of the world’s oldest Jewish synagogues remain in use, where a Christian community has resided for 2000 years, where the Zorostrians have thrived since being expelled from their ancient homeland of Persia, where Armenians and Syrians have been living, and the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile have been welcome since the Communist China takeover of their land would simply be silly.

The Prime Minister is Sikh, the head of the ruling party is an Italian Catholic women. The chief minister of India's largest state is of 'low-caste' and has become famous for her opulent lifestyle. The President of India is a woman, succeeding a Muslim President, who as a rocket scientist, was considered a hero in India.

Progress cannot occur without constructive criticism, and you would be hard pressed to find people more critical of their nation than Indians.

But with the most extraordinary history of diversity and tolerance, and a rapidly expanding economy, India, despite its all its shortcomings deserves some credit for moving a huge, heterogenous nation, particularly when considering the great neighbors it lives with forward.

Poverty is slowly but surely decreasing, and all citizens opportunities are increasing. All who don't want to believe don't have to--India is moving faster and faster forward regardless.

CHRISTIANITY IS A CULT!!!

KERT1 doesnt seem to have stepped out of US nor knows history of other countries. India is the only country where true religious freedom exists. Thats why His Holiness Dalai Lama is staying, Jews were never persecuted, Zoroastrians and others lived peacefully for hundreds of years amidst of Hindus.

Why and when did problems start in India lately? Christians zealots are the culprits! By hook or crook you guys want to convert others to christianty and be enslaved and believe in your god who does not exist. He is worse than Satan!
Jesus learned everything you guys are practicing from Buddhism and Hindus in India.

Talk about caste system, what about social discrimination in color discrimination here in US.

Look at your own Christian history. Any country you touched you ruined it! Look at what you guys did in South America.

India and other countries should not let these missionaries which is source of all "INTRINSIC EVIL".

I saw in this column a lot of disagreement with the assessment of the USCIRF but no real evidence that such assessment was the product of the anti-Hindu bias evoked in the headline.

Perhaps the USCIRF got it wrong, and perhaps its written justification of its conclusion was lacking, but its overall sense of the matter is not radically far out of line with recent published findings of other governmental and non-governmental watchdogs in the area of religious freedom. Maybe the author (apparently writing far out of his field of expertise) would benefit from taking a fresh and detached look at the situation in India. As the old proverb goes, if three people call you a donkey, consider getting a saddle.

I think this writer needs to take a close look at India. India lack of religious freedom is well know and, while not as bad as other nations, needs drastic improvement. His article does little to nothing to convince me otherwise.

India is 80% Hindu and most of the rest Muslim and Christian. The majority Hindu's regularly persecute and murder people from the other religions. While the murders are somewhat contained to remote areas, this is no excuse. The fact is the government does next to nothing to prevent these attrocities.

There is also the problem of the caste system which condemns many poor Indian's to a pitiful life that they can't escape. It is sad when the religion promotes this and prevents others from helping humans.

I should also point out it is not a crime or a problem to allow people to convert others. I think it is fair to say his point of view is not very accurate. Of course Christians support Christian missionaries and communities. There is no question here. It is done by free will and very acceptible. Often these converts are the people who are stuck in poverty and can't get out without help. The Hindu's won't help them and often deter others from trying.

While it is tempting to pretend India is a great democracy, the truth is far from this. There are area that are very tolerant but these are mostly the Westernized cities that deal in business. They had to change or else be left behind. The rest of the country lacks the religious freedom that we expect, and we need to fight for it.