Some state and local governments in India limit in practice the freedom of religion, enshrined in the country's constitution, says a US State Department report.
Indian government generally respected this right in practice, noted the annual world-wide survey of religious freedom in 2006 released in Washington on Friday. The policy of the government continued to contribute to the generally-free practice of religion, during the period covered by the report. However, the report indicted problems in some parts of the country.
Some state governments had enacted and amended 'anti-conversion' laws with police and enforcement agencies not acting swiftly enough to effectively counter societal attacks, particularly against religious minorities, said the report.
Despite government efforts to foster communal harmony some extremists continued to evade due to ineffective investigation and prosecution on charges of attacks on religious minorities, particularly at the state and local level, added the report.
It indicated that they could commit such violence with impunity, although numerous cases were in the courts at the end of the reporting period.
The report praised the United Progressive Alliance