Violence against minorities in India on the rise; law enforcement role dubious

Washington, US – The US State Department report on Human Rights and Democracy recently stated that excessive use of force by armed forces as well as arbitrary arrests and disappearances in occupied Kashmir besides religiously motivated violence against Christians and Muslim continued in India and was a cause for concern all over the world.

According to an Indian news agency, the report released Monday, while taking notice of India's vibrant democracy and a strong constitutional framework, regretted that enforcement of laws and a lag in the administration of justice remain problem areas. The report said, “The Government generally respects human rights of its citizens. However, numerous serious problems remained, including extra judicial killings, custodial deaths throughout the country and heavy–handedness and occasional excessive use of force by Indian forces, as well as arbitrary arrest and disappearances while combating insurgencies in Indian held Jammu and Kashmir and several northeastern states.”

Other human rights issues, it said, included reported incidents of torture and rape by police and other government agents, poor prison conditions, detention throughout the country of those arrested under security–related laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), prolonged detention while undergoing trial and witness intimidation, particularly in Gujarat. Societal violence and discrimination against women, trafficking of women and children for forced prostitution and labour, female foeticide and female infanticide remained concern areas. Widespread exploitation of workers, including indentured and bonded servants and child labourers continued, as did religiously motivated violence against Christians and Muslims, it said.

By our special correspondent