On Monday, the US said that it regularly urges the Indian government to uphold its human rights obligations and commitments. The comments came following the release of the Human Rights Report 2023 by the US State Department on Monday, which made a mention of several rights issues in India, including human rights abuses during the Manipur conflict and the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
US Urges India to Uphold Rights
Senior official Robert S. Gilchrist emphasised the US' active role in addressing these issues. He stated that the US and India engage in regular high-level consultations on democracy and human rights and that Washington actively seeks the perspectives of civil society representatives in both countries. He mentioned that such perspectives inform the Human Rights Report.
“We encourage the Government of India to consult and meet regularly with civil society organisations representing a diversity of people,” he added while narrating the steps taken by the US government to hold India accountable. He said that this was the critical component of the US’ dialogue and engagement with India.
US: 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: India
— Geeta Mohan گیتا موہن गीता मोहन (@Geeta_Mohan) April 23, 2024
Mentions Manipur conflict, transnational killings (Nijjar... Pannun case), restrictions on media freedom, freedom of peaceful assembly, corruption, caste-based violence.
Also, mentions terrorism in J&K, Maoist affected… https://t.co/QkF4czeUjc
Abuses in Manipur, Government Inaction
The annual report mentioned that the ethnic conflict between the Kuki and Meitei tribes that broke out in Manipur last year led to significant human rights abuses. It noted that between 3 May and 15 November, at least 175 people were killed and over 60,000 people displaced, and armed conflicts, rapes, assaults, and destruction of homes, businesses and places of worship took place during the conflict.
Additionally, it cited the shutting down of the internet and imposition of curfews in response to the violence in the state. It stressed that the Indian Supreme Court criticised the failure of the central and state governments to halt the violence in Manipur.
Extrajudicial Killings, Targeting of Muslims
The report also listed instances of unlawful and extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances in Jammu and Kashmir, torture and punishment by the government, and arbitrary arrests. It mentioned that foreign governments and human rights groups accused India of having killed people in other countries. The report made a mention of Canada’s allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Nijjar.
The report mentioned the deployment of bulldozers to destroy homes of vocal critics from the Muslim community, especially after incidents of protests or communal violence. Noting incidents of such demolitions from Haryana, the report said that under “municipal pretences,” the government seized the property of the minority community.
Furthermore, it mentioned instances of societal discrimination and violence against Muslims and Dalits for numerous reasons, including for transporting or slaughtering cattle. It noted that several political party representatives were using disinformation tactics to depict minority community organisations as security threats. The report comes a day after Indian PM Narendra Modi was accused of targeting Muslims in an election speech in Rajasthan on Sunday.
Crackdown on Media, Unfair use of UAPA
The annual assessment noted that violence and threats of violence against journalists, unjustified arrests of reporters, censorships, and restrictions on freedom of expression were commonplace in India. It listed instances of misuse of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the government to “target and arbitrarily detain human rights activists, members of minority groups, and journalists under the guise of national security.” The report said that between 2015 and 2020, over 8,000 arrests had been made under UAPA.
The State Department reported “numerous instances” in which the government and its allies “allegedly pressured or harassed media outlets critical of the government.” The report comes as India is ranked 161 out of 180 countries on Reporters without Borders’ press freedom index. So far, India has made no comment on the report.