India Witnessed Significant Human Rights Violations In 2022: US Report

The annual report by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, lists significant human rights violation cases in India which took place in the year of 2022. The US report cites cases of unlawful killings, sabotage of freedom of press and violence targeting religious and ethnic minorities in the country.

The violations against humanity in the forms of extrajudicial killings, torture, cruelty and degrading treatment and punishments by police and prison officials towards general public have also been mentioned in the report, which indicates hostile and harsh living environment for the Indian natives.

The mentioned report has been questioned by the Union government on the grounds of credibility and is currently suffering accusations of being just another of the many propagandas against India by the US government, in the pursuit of subduing the country’s reputation in the worldview.

On the other hand, it is requisite to note that that India has rejected similar reports by the US government in the past. The Union government has consistently claimed that IndiaA has well-established democratic practices and robust institutions to safeguard the rights of all its citizens. The questioning has triggered the public consensus to demand credibility of such reports and quality of the State’s governance.

Arbitrary & Unlawful Interference

Arbitrary arrest and detention, arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy, restrictions on freedom of expression and gatekeeping of media, including threats of violence, unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists and enforcement or threat to enforce criminal libel laws to limit expression are some of the serious accusations mentioned in the report, which endanger the living conditions in the nation.

The other concerns listed are shortcomings of the authorities in the investigations and accountability for gender-based violence (domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual violence, workplace violence, child, early, and forced marriage, femicide) and crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeted towards people of a certain nationality, race, ethnicity or a minority group based on religious affiliation, social status or sexual orientation.

‘Information Gatekeeping’ emerges as a grave issue in the US report as it mentions restrictions on freedom on the internet, protection of personal encrypted data and interference of government with the online privacy of the Indian public.

The US annual report states, “There were reports that government authorities accessed, collected, or used private communication arbitrarily or unlawfully or without appropriate legal authority and developed practices that allow for the arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy, including the use of technology to arbitrarily or unlawfully surveil or interfere with the privacy of individuals,” as reported by India Today.

The grave contradiction played here is the illusion of the citizens generally enjoying the freedom of speech, but realistically being restricted and monitored in the background by the Indian Government on the grounds of public and national interest provisions.

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