Indian rights situation “massive, systematic, dangerous": UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues
Cites study noting 786% increase in hate crimes against minorities between 2014-2018
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Fernand de Varennes, has raised serious concerns about the deteriorating rights situation in India, labeling it as "massive, systematic, and dangerous."
Speaking at a hearing on policy options for advancing religious freedom in India organized by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in Washington DC on September 20, 2023, Varennes emphasized the alarming scale and gravity of violations and abuses targeting religious and other minorities in India, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and others.
Varennes stated, "India risks becoming one of the world's main generators of instability, atrocities, and violence because of the massive scale and gravity of the violations and abuses targeting mainly religious and other minorities. It is not just individual or local; it is systematic and a reflection of religious nationalism."
He cited a study that noted a 786% increase in hate crimes against minorities between 2014 and 2018, highlighting the surge in attacks, rapes, lynchings, and discriminatory policies and laws against religious minorities.
Furthermore, Varennes expressed deep concern about the prevalence of hate speech and incitement to violence against religious minorities on social media platforms in India. He noted that such content is widespread, vitriolic, and often involves incitement to violence and even calls for genocide. The failure of Indian authorities to address this issue effectively contributes to the escalation of violence with religious undertones.
Varennes drew attention to several specific issues of concern, including the discriminatory citizenship determination process in Assam. He expressed fears that this process, coupled with the 2019 Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which fast-tracks Indian citizenship for individuals unless they are Muslims, could be part of an effort to establish a religious and discriminatory test for Indian citizenship.
He also pointed out the disenfranchisement of millions, mainly Muslims, through the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. This move placed the region under the direct control of the central Indian government, erasing local political representation and participation rights.
“The disenfranchisement of millions, again mainly Muslims because of their religion, through the revocation in 2019 of the special status or autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir. Now under the direct control of the central Indian government, discarding locally elected bodies, the right of political participation and representation, effectively stripping mainly Muslim and other minority residents of many of their previous political rights,” he added.
Varennes referred to the violence in Manipur as a warning sign of the potential for further unrest. He emphasized that India ranks as the eighth country at the highest risk of mass killings, primarily due to the targeting of religious and other minorities. This situation reflects a widespread scapegoating and dehumanization of Muslims and religious "others," increasing the risk of horrific atrocities.
He said: “The violence in Manipur is also a warning of the dangers of inaction. The danger is that left alone many more ‘Manipur’ may erupt. India ranks as eighth country at the highest risk of mass killings. This is mainly because of the targeting of religious and other minorities, and is symptomatic of large-scale scapegoating and dehumanising of Muslims and religious ‘others’ that could lead to a slide towards horrific atrocities.”
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
