Pelting over langar but US panel sees vigilantism in gurdwara violence in India

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has flagged what it describes as vigilante attacks on Sikh places of worship in India. However, its claims appear to be at odds with findings from police investigations, which point to local disputes and, in at least one case, an alleged attempt by the gurdwara's own head sewadar to orchestrate an attack to secure police protection, rather than religiously motivated vigilantism.The USCIRF is an American federal government commission tasked with monitoring religious freedom violations worldwide and advising the US government on policy responses.In a post on X, the USCRIF's social media account quoted one of its Commissioners, David Anderson, as stating that, "Over the last several weeks, Sikh gurdwaras in India have been targeted with vigilante attacks, including attempts to harm religious leaders. The USG should link security assistance to the Indian government's response to violence that stops people from exercising FoRB [Freedom of Religion or Belief]."The organisation also quoted another one of its Commissioners, Joe Grogan, as stating, "Attacks on houses of worship in India, including churches, gurdwaras, and mosques, undermine FoRB rights enshrined in international law. The USG should continue to press the Indian government to hold perpetrators of such violence accountable & protect places of worship." Taken together, the statements suggest that USCIRF views the incidents as part of a pattern of religiously motivated attacks on places of worship in India. Yet, the commission has not cited specific evidence establishing a religious motive behind the incidents involving the gurdwaras. What are the incidents the USCIRF members are referring to, claiming that gurdwaras are being targeted by religious vigilantes? Let's examine some incidents reported from the state of Punjab last month and what police investigations have revealed. US religious freedom body alleged targeted attacks on Sikh gurdwaras in India. (Image: X) TWO GURDWARAS TARGETED IN LUDHIANA. WERE THEY VIGILANTE ATTACKS?Between October 27 and 28, two gurdwaras in Punjab's Ludhiana district were targeted in separate shooting incidents in a span of 24 hours. The first incident took place at Gurdwara Sri Gopalsar Sahib in Gagra village near Jagraon on the night of October 26-27. According to The Indian Express, a masked man fired two shots at the shrine's main gate and left behind a threatening letter targeting its head sewadar, Baba Amarjit Singh, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Gurinder Singh Rumi.The following day, two masked men entered Gurdwara Manji Sahib in Rajoana Kalan village around 3 am and fired at the room of its head sewadar, Baldev Singh. He escaped unhurt as he was in an attached bathroom, PTI reported.Police initially investigated a possible link between the two shootings. However, the Gagra investigation took an unusual turn on October 31, when police arrested Sandeep Singh, an alleged accomplice of Baba Amarjit Singh. According to The Indian Express, police claimed the head sewadar had orchestrated the firing to create grounds for obtaining police protection, instructing Sandeep to shoot at the shrine and leave a threatening letter.In the separate Rajoana Kalan case, police arrested Raj Singh, alias Raju, as the suspected shooter. However, he died in police custody hours after his arrest on November 3, prompting a magisterial enquiry. The Indian Express reported that his family alleged custodial torture, while police cited pre-existing health conditions.While both shootings were real, police investigations have not established a coordinated campaign of religiously motivated attacks. In the Gagra case, police alleged that the shrine's own head sewadar had orchestrated the shooting, while the Rajoana Kalan incident remains a separate case.STONE-PELTING AT A LUDHIANA GURDWARA LINKED TO LANGARAnother incident cited in the context of attacks on Sikh places of worship took place on October 5 at the historic Gurdwara Sri Manji Sahib in Alamgir, also in Ludhiana district.According to a report by The Indian Express, the incident began when a man who had arrived at the gurdwara to partake in langar was stopped by a sewadar from entering the langar hall.Gurdwara manager Hardeep Singh said the man appeared intoxicated and suspicious. He subsequently left but returned with several others, who allegedly pelted the langar hall with two or three stones.Langar is the meal served from community kitchens and gurdwaras, and follows one of Sikhism's foundational teachings of Vand Chakna (sharing one's earnings and food with others).Police initially detained five men under preventive provisions before registering an FIR under Section 298 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The accused were identified as individuals hailing from the state of Bihar, who were residing in shanties near the gurdwara.The incident also triggered allegations on social media that gurdwara staff had set fire to the nearby shanties occupied by migrant workers. The gurdwara management denied the allegations, saying the occupants had left after being asked to vacate the structures, which stood on private land. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) subsequently cautioned against the circulation of rumours, morphed images and AI-generated visuals, saying the situation at the shrine was normal.While the stone-pelting itself was reported and condemned by Sikh religious authorities, the available reporting does not establish that it was motivated by religious hatred or part of a wider campaign.WHAT IS THE USCRIF?The USCRIF assesses countries, conducts hearings and research, and makes recommendations to the US President, Secretary of State, and the US Congress on foreign policy decision-making, including sanctions and other measures against governments or individuals accused of religious-freedom violations.The USCIRF has repeatedly called for designating India as a country of particular concern, including in 2025, when it accused New Delhi of "engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA)".In March this year, the Commission called for targeted sanctions in the form of asset freezing and barring entry to the US against the officials of India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), citing concerns related to alleged human rights violations and issues surrounding religious freedom.It had also recommended the US government to conduct a "review assessing whether arms sales to India, such as MQ-9B drones under Section 36 of the Arms Export Control Act, may contribute to or exacerbate religious freedom violations."That the USCIRF has branded non-communal disputes as vigilante attacks is revealed through the investigations by police.- Ends