'Experienced full religious freedom in India as vulnerable minority': Tibetan Commissioner's dissent note on US report

New Delhi: On Sunday, as there was much ballyhoo and outrage from the usual suspects over the US Religious Freedom Report 2018, with both BJP and MEA rejecting it findings.

In a statement, BJP media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said, "The basic presumption in this report that there is some grand design behind anti-minority violence is simply false. On the contrary, in most of such cases, these instances are carried out as a result of local disputes and by (people with) criminal mindsets." Whenever needed, PM Modi and other BJP leaders have strongly deplored violence against minorities and weaker sections of the society, he added.

However, Dr Tenzin Dorjee, the Commissioner of United States Commission on International Religious Freedom wrote a powerful dissent note where he disagreed with the tenor of the report on religious freedom in India.

He dissented with the view that India's religious freedom conditions 'continued on a downward trend' and that the 'government allowed and encouraged mob violence'. He said India is an open society with a a robust democratic and judiciary system. He shared his experience of living in India for 30 years as a Tibetan refugee and vehemently defended India's multi-faith society.

He compared it to communist China which 'systematically, egregiously, and continuously destroyed Tibetan religion, language, culture, and environment'.

In comparison he observed, the Tibetan culture and language had flourished in India.

(With inputs from DNA)