UN Human Rights Committee raises concerns over discrimination against minorities in India

The United Nations Human Rights Committee expressed concerns on Thursday regarding the discrimination and violence faced by minority groups in India, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and LGBTI individuals.

The committee called on the Indian government to enact comprehensive legislation to prohibit such discrimination.

In its report, the committee highlighted the need for India to increase public awareness and provide training to civil servants, law enforcement, the judiciary, and community leaders to promote respect for diversity. The report also criticized certain provisions of India's Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and counter-terrorism laws, noting that they do not comply with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

AFSPA grants military personnel significant powers in regions deemed "disturbed," such as parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh, which has led to allegations of human rights violations.

The committee urged India to ensure that counter-terrorism and security measures in these areas are temporary, proportionate, necessary, and subject to judicial review. It also called for the establishment of a mechanism to address human rights violations in these regions, including acknowledging responsibility and ascertaining the truth.

This report follows the release of the 2023 International Religious Freedom Report by the U.S. State Department, which highlighted similar concerns about the repression of religious minorities in India.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted an increase in hate speech, anti-conversion laws, and demolitions of homes and places of worship belonging to minority communities in India. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the U.S. report as "deeply biased," claiming it lacked an understanding of India's social fabric and was influenced by electoral considerations.