THE WORLD IS WATCHING INDIA
March, 2022
PARLIAMENTARIANS
European parliamentarians raise concerns for Indian human rights defenders to Indian government
March 7, 2022
21 Members of the European Parliament sent a letter to high level Indian political leaders raising their concern over the treatment of human rights defenders in India, particularly HRDs being arrested for their human rights work and targeted under terrorism laws. They call special attention to the 15 HRDs jailed in the Bhima Koregaon case, the 13 incarcerated in Delhi following their protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019, and the arrest of Khurram Parvez.
Alviina Alametsä (Member of the European Parliament)
Also at: here
UNITED NATIONS BODIES
Stan Swamy’s detention was arbitrary and violated human rights: UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
February 14, 2022
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) published its opinion that Father Stan Swamy’s detention was arbitrary and violative of key enshrined human rights. The Working Group agreed with UN human rights experts who said that Father Swamy’s death in custody will “forever remain a stain on the human rights record of India”. It asks the Indian government to provide compensation and reparations under international law to his family. The Working Group notes that it received no reply from the government of India on any of its communications on this case.
WGAD and UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS
India added to human rights watchlist in CIVICUS Monitor
March 10, 2022
The CIVICUS Monitor added India to its human rights watchlist of countries in a rapid decline of civic freedoms. Government raids of NGO offices, activists and journalists put under surveillance through the Pegasus spyware, and human rights activists unjustly arrested under terrorism laws were the violations named.
CIVICUS Monitor
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Al Jazeera investigation exposes Facebook’s undue favouring of the BJP
March 14, 2022
Al Jazeera published the first part of a year-long journalistic investigation exposing various ways Facebook’s ad platform privileged the ruling BJP to undermine all other political competition, including by sidestepping regulations during elections. Many of the ads spread lies, misinformation or divisive communal messages to promote the BJP and its candidates. This first part discloses how a Reliance-funded firm secretly boosted the BJP’s campaigns on Facebook.
Al Jazeera
DIASPORA GROUPS
Indian government bias in its objection to International Day to Combat Islamophobia
March 16, 2022
While the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution proclaiming 15 March as the International Day to Combat Islamaphobia, the Indian government objected on the ground that phobia against only one religion does not warrant to be marked as an international day. The Indian American Muslim Council commented that this reveals “India’s deep-rooted anti-Muslim hatred, to the point where a day to combat Islamophobia is viewed as problematic and a threat to Hindus”.
Indian-American Muslim Council
Kashmiri Pandits debunk the movie The Kashmir Files
March 30, 2022
Hindus for Human Rights carries the voices of Kashmiri Pandits that reinforce that the movie The Kashmir Files is nothing but propaganda that obscures truths towards a divisive, politicised narrative of such an important part of the story of Kashmir that affects both Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits.
Hindus for Human Rights
WATCHDOG BODIES
Condemning the Karnataka High Court ruling upholding the hijab ban: USCIRF
March 17, 2022
Anurima Bhargava, a Commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom posted this tweet after the Karnataka High Court upheld the ban on hijab in the state: “#India’s #Karnataka State court upholding the #hijabban in schools is a violation of religious freedom. The ruling is a grave injustice and indignity to women and girls seeking an education in accordance with their faith.”
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
The World Is Watching India 