UN member states have urged India to take a tougher stand on sexual violence and religious discrimination as they raised New Delhi’s human rights record during a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
The UPR held every four years is a mechanism to examine the human rights records of member states. Any member state can ask questions and make recommendations to the state under review.
During India’s fourth UPR review on Thursday, member states also asked New Delhi to reduce the broad application of “anti-terror” laws.
India’s Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been under scrutiny for the use of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), particularly targeting minority groups and human rights activists, without allowing them an opportunity for a fair trial.
“We recommend that India reduce the broad application of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and similar laws against human rights activists, journalists and religious minorities,” said Michele Taylor, the US ambassador to the council.
“Despite legal protections, discrimination and violence based on gender and religious affiliation persist. The application of anti-terror legislation has led to prolonged detentions of human rights defenders and activists,” she added.
The UAPA is an “anti-terrorism” law under which authorities can designate someone as a “terrorist” based on suspicion and detain them for months without bail. The law has been criticised for its use against members of minority groups and rights groups and its low conviction rate.
Several countries appreciated India for implementing some of the recommendations shared during the last UPR held in 2017, others were quick to raise critical issues relating to the country’s deteriorating stance on minority rights, freedom of speech and violence against women, in particular.
Canada urged India to probe all acts of sexual violence and protect freedom of religion by investigating religious violence “including against Muslims”, while Germany said that it “remains concerned about the rights of marginalised groups”.
Earlier in April, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) accused India of “engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom”. The independent bipartisan panel had called for the US state department to place India on the list of “countries of particular concern”.