APD | Time has reached to end Human Rights Violations in India

APD NEWS

text

Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Founding Chair GSRRA, Sinologist (ex-Diplomat), Editor, Analyst, and Non-Resident Fellow of CCG (Center for China and Globalization). (E-mail: [email protected]).

Since the PM Modi became Prime Minister of India, he has promoted intolerance, extremism, and taken all possible measures to transform India from a known-secular state into a pure-Hindu state. In this regard, he has strengthened the extremist political parties, wings, and groups and encouraged them for violence against minorities, especially against the Muslims. The Government is not only spectator, but it became a party siding with the extremists and facilitating them in torturing minorities.

International Community is well aware of Human Rights violations of India and has been issuing warnings from time to time. But, India ignores all such warnings and kept on its practice of terrorism against its minorities. Modi is committed on its agenda and have no will to respect the UN or international community.

Recommendations by International Community to address Human Rights Violations:-

o The BJP Government needs to adopt legislation to criminalize hate speech and prevent communal violence, anti-discrimination law & policies.

o The report observed that despite abolishment of caste system, it was still in practice, especially in rural areas and states

o Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are being economically deprived and socially marginalized

Human Rights – Right to Life, liberty and Security

o security forces and police in India had been engaging in extrajudicial killings or fake encounter killings, and that the culture of extrajudicial killings was normalized in the country

o custodial torture and violence remained an entrenched and routine law-enforcement strategy across India.

o Dalit communities were subjected to violent search and seizure operations, falsified charges, caste based verbal abuse and humiliation, severe beatings, inhuman torture, forced bribery for their release and sexual abuse following arrest

o Adivasi/Tribal women in the custody of the police or other authorities were raped or sexually abused

o Amnesty International (AI) reported that two-thirds of the prison population was in pre trial detention, with Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis being disproportionately represented

o Dalit Christians and Muslims are facing worst economic conditions. Dalit Christians remained landless and are largely dependent on the dominant caste community for their livelihood

o Scheduled Tribes, or Adivasi, were socially and economically marginalized and are facing landlessness and homelessness due to the violence and discrimination against them

o Muslims being forcefully evicted from settlements using protection of national parks or illegal encroachment of government lands as a justification; rendering them homeless

o Amnesty International has also confirmed that misinformation with regards to Muslims was intentional spread that Muslims spread Covid-19 in India and health care services were denied to them

Human Rights and Counter Terrorism

o Rampant misuse of counter terrorism legislation to persecute human rights defenders, journalists and persons critical of the Government

Administration of justice, including impunity, and the rule of law

o Mob violence or lynching by Hindu nationalist vigilante groups targeting minorities continued during the reporting period.

o Mob violence or lynching by Hindu nationalist vigilante groups targeting minorities continued during the reporting period. Police were either complicit in the killings and the cover-up, or stalled investigations and ignored procedures

o Public officials advocate religious hatred and incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence

Fundamental freedoms and the right to participate in public and political life

o Human Rights Watch stated that people who protested or criticized the Government were frequently labeled “anti-national” and the authorities targeted them by bringing politically motivated criminal cases

o Independent media outlets, journalists and human rights activists were threatened and intimidated

o Amnesty International stated in the report that peaceful protesters had been charged with offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code, including for sedition, hurting religious sentiments, and hate speech

o Human Rights Watch recommended that the Government repeal directives that ban the hijab, and ensure that schools and universities are inclusive spaces, and safeguard girls’ and women’s right to freedom of religion and expression

o The BJP Government deprived coastal communities in Tamil Nadu of their economic, social and cultural rights

Violence Against Women

o AI stated that discrimination and violence against women and girls were pervasive

o Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes women consistently faced verbal abuse, physical assault, sexual harassment and assault, domestic violence and rape, sexual exploitation, forced prostitution

Minorities

o Discriminatory legislation and minority communities, particularly Muslims, Christians, Adivasis and Dalits are attacked and subjected to religious intolerance by state and non-state actors

o AI stated that under the governance of the BJP , hate crimes against Muslims and other minorities had surged

o Muslims often subjected to hate speech with incitement to violence

o Hindu mob / Indian State used laws against cow slaughter to prosecute Muslim cattle traders, as BJP-affiliated groups attacked Muslims and Dalits on rumors that they had killed or traded cows for beef

o Out of all religious minority groups, Muslims faced the most severe violations pertaining to dispositions, discrimination, incarceration, hate, and the withdrawal of citizenship rights.

o Government is misusing laws to target Christians and harass & arrest Muslim men in relationships with Hindu women

Misuse of Citizen Amendment Act

o The Act is discriminatory and is based on national origin or religion and the Government should amend the Act

Jammu & Kashmir

o Indian armed forces and police were continuously committing grave human rights abuses in Jammu & Kashmir with impunity

o Kashmiris were facing repression after the Government had revoked the state’s special constitutional status, with many detained

o growing restrictions on media, a number of journalists and human rights defenders had been arrested on spurious terrorism charges, and authorities regularly harassed critics, including through the use of counterterrorism raids

It is high time to pressurize India to stop Human Rights Violations, the UN is urged to put sanctions on India and its terrorist out-fits. India must be forced to respect humankind and save human life. India has already surpassed all the human rights violation committed in the history of human kind. It should reach too an end, all means must be applied to force India and precious human lives must be protected.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)