Speaker warns of rising majoritarian pressure in India and urges U.S. candor

Knox Thames, a former State Department special adviser for religious minorities, told a Helsinki Commission briefing that India's growing Hindu majoritarian narrative has produced "devastating impacts" on Muslims, Christians and other minorities and that Washington should use existing tools to signal concern. "India is the country I'm most concerned about," Thames said, adding that the U.S. tendency to treat India only as a strategic counterweight to China has left some policymakers unwilling to probe deeper into religious‑freedom trends.

Thames recommended using tools established by Congress and the State Department, such as special designations and watch lists, to get the attention of Indian policymakers and to preserve U.S. credibility. "When I was, at the Religious Freedom Commission, then President Obama was going to India... I heard from Indian religious minorities that that improved the climate for at least a year," he said, describing how high-level U.S. attention can affect conditions on the ground.

He emphasized the need for candor: "If you're gonna be critical of a foe, then you have to be willing to do that with a friend as well," he said, urging bipartisan and principled engagement rather than selective silence. Thames said using diplomatic pressure for both friends and adversaries is essential for long-term influence.

During the briefing, Bakhti and congressional staffers in attendance asked about practical strategies for engaging with large democracies where U.S. interests and human-rights concerns intersect. Thames reiterated that the U.S. should be honest about shared values and warned that friendship without accountability could undermine leverage.

The discussion did not include any formal U.S. action announced at the briefing.