Obama asked to press for religious rights while meeting PM Singh

As US President Barack Obama hosts his first official state visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, human rights groups have called for the inclusion of religious freedom in the discussions between the leaders of two largest democracies.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), in its Nov. 20 letter, urged President Obama to speak on the "culture of impunity for perpetrators of violence against religious groups in India, and to prevent future incidents of sectarian violence against religious minorities."

"India is the world's largest democracy and home to a multitude of religious communities that have historically coexisted peacefully; however, the Indian government has failed to bring the perpetrators and instigators of sectarian violence to justice," Leonard Leo, the chair of USCIRF, stated in the letter.

Prime Minister Singh arrived on Sunday in Washington for a four day US visit as the state guest of President Obama. The two sides are expected to discuss on terrorism, nuclear disarmament, the global economic slowdown and climate change.

Global rights watchdog Amnesty International reminds the US President that he must "candidly" address the human rights concerns in India and urge Prime Minister Singh to make "substantive improvements" during the meeting.

"While you discuss economic cooperation and civilian nuclear partnership with the Indian Prime Minister, it is vital that you also raise human rights concerns affecting millions of Indian citizens," Amnesty's Executive Director, Larry Cox wrote in his Nov. 18 letter.

"Amnesty International strongly urges you to include human rights concerns in India in your joint communiqué with Prime Minister Singh and to address human rights concerns during your joint press conference," the letter states. "Mr President, we urge you not to miss this opportunity to speak for those whose rights have been violated in India. They need your help."

Voices For Freedom, another leading human rights group, in its memorandum to President Obama, condemned the last year's violence against Christians in Orissa and apprised that thousands still languish in relief camps. "This is just another example of India's failure to provide justice to religious minorities," it mentioned.

Similarly, quoting the Kandhamal massacre, the USCIRF said, despite "many thousands of accusations against alleged perpetrators in the aftermath of this violence, to date there have been few convictions."

Although that the Congress Party after winning the 2009 elections strongly vocalized its support for a peaceful religious pluralism, USCIRF said, "its words have not translated into actions to protect religious freedom throughout the country."

It continued: "As you noted in your remarks last January on the fifty-eighth anniversary of Indian democracy, the United States and India have a shared belief in 'democracy, liberty, pluralism and religious tolerance'. Therefore, in the spirit of partnership, we encourage you to raise these issues with Prime Minister Singh."

The USCIRF has placed India on its "Watch List" for the frequent outbreaks of violence against minorities.