Skip to main content

India, Pakistan "think alike" on foreign NGOs like Amnesty, which focus on human rights issues of Balochistan

By Our Representative
A former high-profile Government of India official is all set to create a flutter by pointing out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have taken up the cause of Balochistan, yet the “credit for spreading universal publicity on human rights abuses in Balochistan goes to the London-based Amnesty International”, under attack in India.
Noting that the same Amnesty “paradoxically is now facing our Union Home Ministry’s close attention”, Valappa Balachandran, ex-special secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, has said, “It is odd that both Pakistan and India think alike on foreign NGOs like Amnesty."
An national security intelligence specialist and a former Indian police officer, Balachandran served 17 years in Maharashtra, and 19 years in foreign intelligence service. He retired as special secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, in 1995. and is based in Mumbai.
Recently, in India Amnesty has been charged with sedition by Hindu fundamentalists for arranging a Kashmir meeting in Bengaluru, recalls Balachandran, pointing out that it is the same organization which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.
“Its 2015-16 annual report said that ‘in April, a human rights activist Sabeen Mahmud was killed after hosting a discussion on Balochistan at her cafe in Karachi. Her driver, a key witness, subsequently was shot dead, despite the Sindh Witness Protection Act 2013 that was passed to protect witnesses’,” Balachandran says.
Pointing our similarity of attacks in India and Pakistan on civil rights organizations, Balachandran says, “In January 2015 India prevented a Greenpeace campaigner from going to UK for attending a conference. Amnesty reported that three Baloch activists were prevented in March 2015 at Karachi from going to USA to attend a joint meeting of Baluch and Sindhi activists.”
Quoting Amnesty, the ex-official says, “In October 2015 Pakistan asked all NGOs to register and obtain permission from the Ministry of Interior for carrying on activities. On August 13, 2016 our Home Ministry asked Amnesty to get a licence to receive funds from abroad.”
Suggesting that all this “might be a coincidence”, Balachandran says, but still it is “relevant at a time when we take the initiative to point out other countries’ human rights abuses.”
According to the ex-official, “As signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (1966-1976) we have certain obligations specified in UNGA Resolution 53/144 dated 1998.”
He adds, “Article 5 of the resolution recognizes the rights of individuals to form, join and participate in NGOs, associations or groups and to communicate with non-governmental or intergovernmental organizations.”
Insisting that “this brings us to our own human rights situation”, Balachandran says, “Daily news headlines like ‘India blinding young Kashmiri protestors’ (The Guardian UK) ‘HC seeks details about people blinded, injured in the valley’ (Kashmir Reader), ‘Lecturer beaten to death in Kashmir; army regrets killing, orders probe’ (Mumbai Mirror) and ‘BJP worker killed by Cow vigilantes’ (The Hindu) do not give any credit to our own human rights situation.”
“Merely transferring the blame for the situation in the Valley on Pakistan is no solution”, he underlines, adding, “Are we sure that things in the Kashmir Valley will become normal if Pakistan, under international pressure, stops its interference?”
Balachandran wonders, “A guide to a resolution of the present Kashmir impasse could be what a non-political professional had suggested on August 19. Lt Gen DS Hooda, Northern Army Commander had said that everybody who is involved including separatists should ‘sit down, put our heads together’.”
Asking “Can We Really Put Pakistan on the Defensive On Human Rights Now?”, Balachandran says, “We cannot reject participation of ‘separatists’ who live within our borders. If we do, we will be no better than Pakistan. Why are we having discussions with Naga groups who still do not proclaim allegiance to our Constitution?”

Comments

TRENDING

'Very low rung in quality ladder': Critique of ICMR study on 'sudden deaths' post-2021

By Bhaskaran Raman*  Since about mid-2021, a new phenomenon of extreme concern has been observed throughout the world, including India : unexplained sudden deaths of seemingly healthy and active people, especially youngsters. In the recently concluded Navratri garba celebrations, an unprecedented number of young persons succumbed to heart attack deaths. After a long delay, ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) has finally has published a case-control study on sudden deaths among Indians of age 18-45.

SC 'appears to foster' culture of secrecy, does not seek electoral bond details from SBI

By Rosamma Thomas*  In its order of November 2, 2023 on the case of Association for Democratic Reforms vs Union of India contesting constitutional validity of electoral bonds, the Supreme Court directed all political parties to give particulars of the bonds received by them in sealed covers to the Election Commission of India. SC sought that information be updated until September 2023. 

How national chauvinism 'overtook' sport despite cricketing glory of World Cup 2023

By Harsh Thakor*  The recently-concluded cricket World Cup was a testimony or manifestation of the thrills, intensity, twists and turns in sport and evolution of the game of cricket. It carried on the trend of the World Cups of yesteryears. Possibly, this was the best ever Indian team in a World Cup, and arguably amongst the best ever to contest a World Cup.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Only 12% of schools RTE compliant: Whither 6% budgetary allocation for education?

By Ambarish Rai* Despite Indian state’s commitment of 6% GDP on education, the Finance Minister completely ignored right to education for children and strengthening implementation of RTE Act which makes education a fundamental right in her budget speech . The Right to Education (RTE) Forum, which is a collective of different stakeholders in education, condemns this neglect of a legal entitlement, which is unconstitutional and demand for overall increase in the budget to ensure improvement in learning outcomes and overall enhancement of quality education.

Savarkar in Ahmedabad 'declared' two-nation theory in 1937, Jinnah followed 3 years later

By Our Representative One of the top freedom fighters whom BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi revere the most, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, was also a great supporter of the two nation theory for India, one for Hindus another for Muslims, claims a new expose on the man who is also known to be the original proponent of the concept of Hindutva.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

'Ambiguous policy': India late in advocating EVs as energy storage in national grid

By Shankar Sharma*  This is regarding the points raised by the Chief Electricity Authority’s (CEA's) advocacy for usage of electrical vehicles (EVs) as energy storage technology, and few associated issues . An objective reading of what he states should reiterate the enormously growing importance of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in our need to transition to a net-zero carbon scenario for the country.

Is India emulating west, 'using' anti-terror plank to justify state-supported violence?

Fahad Ahmad, Baljit Nagra*  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of being involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader, on Canadian soil. Narendra Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist Indian government is defiant and denies involvement. Indian officials have instead admonished Canada for being a “ safe haven ” for Sikh “terrorism,” a pejorative for Sikh self-determination .