GENEVA, Switzerland: More than 20 experts from the United Nations (UN) have issued a joint statement, urging India to “end attacks against minorities” in the run-up to national elections expected to begin next month.
“We are alarmed by continuing reports of attacks on religious, racial and ethnic minorities, on women and girls… and on civil society, including human rights defenders and the media,” they said in a statement on Thursday.
They added that the situation is likely to worsen as polls approach in the world’s most populous country, home to 1.4 billion people.
A wide range of experts, from special rapporteurs to members of UN working groups, reported on a wide range of issues.
This included violence and hate crimes against minorities, discrimination and incitement to violence, targeted and arbitrary killings and abuse of public institutions against political opponents.
“We call on India to implement its human rights obligations fully… by reversing the erosion of human rights and addressing recurring concerns raised by UN human rights mechanisms,” the experts demanded.
The experts also noted with concern that no UN experts visited India since 2017, with 15 unanswered requests pending.
“In light of continuing reports of violence and attacks against religious, racial and ethnic minorities, and other grave human rights issues… we are compelled to express our grave concern, especially given the need for a conducive atmosphere for free and fair elections,” they said further.
Signatories included the special rapporteurs on minority issues; freedom of peaceful assembly and expression; human rights defenders; freedom of religion; violence against women; contemporary racism, and degrading treatment.
Although UN experts are mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, they are independent individuals and are not representatives of the UN.
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, there has been a wave of violence between India’s Hindu majority and its 200 million Muslim minority.
Critics have accused the Indian government of using the judicial system to target political opponents, and several opposition figures are the subject of active criminal investigations.
