NEW DELHI: United Nations Human Rights Fee (UNHRC) on Thursday expressed concern over “arbitrary arrest and prosecution” of minorities and journalists in India. It mentioned that the legal guidelines on counter-terrorism had been being misused towards those that categorical “minority or dissenting views and exercising their proper to peaceable meeting.”
The report identified the killing of “59 journalists since 2006” together with over “60 activists, whistle-blowers, journalists or human rights defenders, reporting or engaged on the battle towards corruption since 2018, in addition to on-line or bodily harassment and assaults.”
The rights physique additionally voiced its concern over rising case of lynching by “cow vigilantes”, asking the federal government to formulate a legislation that offers with the identical.
Nonetheless, the report did acknowledge a number of the “constructive” steps taken by the federal government which embody legal guidelines to safeguard rights of minorities, kids and ladies.
‘Involved by ghar wapsi(homecoming) ceremonies’
The rights physique questioned the “ghar wapsi” or “homecoming” ceremonies allegedly being carried out to forcibly convert spiritual minorities to Hinduism.
“The Committee is worried by “ghar wapsi” – or “homecoming” – ceremonies, the place spiritual minorities are allegedly coerced to transform to Hinduism; based on studies obtained, over the previous decade, 1000’s of Christians and Muslims have been transformed to Hinduism throughout these ceremonies,” it mentioned.
The report additional mentioned that the legislations which can be in pressure to stop compelled spiritual conversions had been being “utilized in ways in which limit and violate the proper to freedom of faith.”
“The Committee has explicit issues about provisions that: require people to inform authorities of their intention to transform; include obscure wording that offers officers broad energy to determine on spiritual conversions; impose enhanced punishments for conversion by minority teams; contemplate interfaith marriages as presumptively illegal; or shift the burden of proof to the accused to point out {that a} conversion was not coerced,” it mentioned.
‘CAA discriminates towards Muslims’
The report talks in regards to the controversial Citizenship Modification Act 2019 that significantly excludes Muslims from neighbouring international locations of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan to hunt Indian citizenship. It referred to as out on the State to both repeal or amend the foundations of CAA.
As a consequence, the report identified, that over 2 million Muslims in Assam who already maintain citizenship threat statelessness and being positioned in detention centres for an indefinite interval earlier than being expelled from the territory of the State celebration.
“The Committee is worried by the truth that the Citizenship Modification Act, 2019 and the Citizenship Modification Guidelines, 2024 set up entry to citizenship for asylum seekers and refugees based on spiritual standards, discriminating particularly towards Muslims. In keeping with this laws citizenship is reserved to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, Christians and Jains from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan,” it mentioned.
“As well as, the Committee is worried by the excessively advanced proceedings confronted by Muslims and the proof requested to be included within the Nationwide Inhabitants Register and enlisted within the Nationwide Register of Residents,” it added.
‘Derogatory rhetoric towards Muslims, Christians, Sikhs’
The human rights physique took word of “studies about discrimination towards minority teams, and violence and derogatory rhetoric towards spiritual minorities, together with Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs.”
It additional mentioned that the state lacked efficient judicial and administrative treatments for addressing discrimination.
Suggesting some measures to take care of this, the report mentioned that the state ought to “undertake sturdy measures to successfully forestall acts of discrimination, together with by offering coaching and consciousness elevating programmes for civil servants, legislation enforcement our bodies, the judiciary and public prosecutors, in addition to spiritual and group leaders and promote respect for range among the many normal public.”
The report identified the killing of “59 journalists since 2006” together with over “60 activists, whistle-blowers, journalists or human rights defenders, reporting or engaged on the battle towards corruption since 2018, in addition to on-line or bodily harassment and assaults.”
The rights physique additionally voiced its concern over rising case of lynching by “cow vigilantes”, asking the federal government to formulate a legislation that offers with the identical.
Nonetheless, the report did acknowledge a number of the “constructive” steps taken by the federal government which embody legal guidelines to safeguard rights of minorities, kids and ladies.
‘Involved by ghar wapsi(homecoming) ceremonies’
The rights physique questioned the “ghar wapsi” or “homecoming” ceremonies allegedly being carried out to forcibly convert spiritual minorities to Hinduism.
“The Committee is worried by “ghar wapsi” – or “homecoming” – ceremonies, the place spiritual minorities are allegedly coerced to transform to Hinduism; based on studies obtained, over the previous decade, 1000’s of Christians and Muslims have been transformed to Hinduism throughout these ceremonies,” it mentioned.
The report additional mentioned that the legislations which can be in pressure to stop compelled spiritual conversions had been being “utilized in ways in which limit and violate the proper to freedom of faith.”
“The Committee has explicit issues about provisions that: require people to inform authorities of their intention to transform; include obscure wording that offers officers broad energy to determine on spiritual conversions; impose enhanced punishments for conversion by minority teams; contemplate interfaith marriages as presumptively illegal; or shift the burden of proof to the accused to point out {that a} conversion was not coerced,” it mentioned.
‘CAA discriminates towards Muslims’
The report talks in regards to the controversial Citizenship Modification Act 2019 that significantly excludes Muslims from neighbouring international locations of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan to hunt Indian citizenship. It referred to as out on the State to both repeal or amend the foundations of CAA.
As a consequence, the report identified, that over 2 million Muslims in Assam who already maintain citizenship threat statelessness and being positioned in detention centres for an indefinite interval earlier than being expelled from the territory of the State celebration.
“The Committee is worried by the truth that the Citizenship Modification Act, 2019 and the Citizenship Modification Guidelines, 2024 set up entry to citizenship for asylum seekers and refugees based on spiritual standards, discriminating particularly towards Muslims. In keeping with this laws citizenship is reserved to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, Christians and Jains from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan,” it mentioned.
“As well as, the Committee is worried by the excessively advanced proceedings confronted by Muslims and the proof requested to be included within the Nationwide Inhabitants Register and enlisted within the Nationwide Register of Residents,” it added.
‘Derogatory rhetoric towards Muslims, Christians, Sikhs’
The human rights physique took word of “studies about discrimination towards minority teams, and violence and derogatory rhetoric towards spiritual minorities, together with Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs.”
It additional mentioned that the state lacked efficient judicial and administrative treatments for addressing discrimination.
Suggesting some measures to take care of this, the report mentioned that the state ought to “undertake sturdy measures to successfully forestall acts of discrimination, together with by offering coaching and consciousness elevating programmes for civil servants, legislation enforcement our bodies, the judiciary and public prosecutors, in addition to spiritual and group leaders and promote respect for range among the many normal public.”
