'Repeal AFSPA': European Parliament blames Manipur violence on Hindu majoritarianism

In an unprecedented move, the European Parliament has passed a resolution blaming intolerance towards religious and belief minorities, including Christians; politically motivated, divisive policies promoting Hindu majoritarianism; increase in activity by militant groups; and partisan involvement by security forces for the ongoing violence in Manipur.
Pointing out that the “violent clashes” between the Meitei and Kuki ethnic communities in Manipur since 3 May 2023 have left at least 120 people dead and 50,000 displaced, destroying over 1,700 houses, over 250 churches and several temples and schools, the resolution says all this has “increased distrust in the authorities.”
Noting that imposition a curfew, shoot-on-sight orders and internet shut down have severely hindered information-gathering and reporting by the media and civil society groups, the resolution, adopted by show of hands, approvingly quotes the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for appealing to India to “safeguard the rights of human rights defenders”, while “raising concerns over shrinking space for civil society.”
Urging the Indian authorities to take all necessary measures to “promptly halt” the ongoing ethnic and religious violence, “protect” religious minorities, especially Manipur’s Christian community, in order to “pre-empt any further escalation”, the resolution seeks allowing independent investigations into the violence, while granting “unhindered access to humanitarian aid providers, international observers and journalists.”

Denouncing in “the strongest terms any nationalistic rhetoric” and asking those who are critical of the government’s conduct not be criminalised, it insists on Central government, all political actors and religious leaders “to take urgent steps to restore calm and ensure an inclusive dialogue involving civil society and the affected communities.”

Calling on the Central government to repeal the “unlawful” Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in line with the recommendations of the UN Universal Periodic Review, even as abiding by “the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials”, the resolution calls for human rights “to be integrated into all areas of the EU-India partnership, including trade.”
Asking all the EU member states to “systematically and publicly raise human rights concerns with India at the highest level, particularly regarding freedom of expression and religion and the shrinking space for civil society”, it seeks “regular dialogue to be organised between the European Parliament and the Parliament of India” for this.

Comments

Dalit rights and political tensions: Why is Mevani at odds with Congress leadership?

While I have known Jignesh Mevani, one of the dozen-odd Congress MLAs from Gujarat, ever since my Gandhinagar days—when he was a young activist aligned with well-known human rights lawyer Mukul Sinha’s organisation, Jan Sangharsh Manch—he became famous following the July 2016 Una Dalit atrocity, in which seven members of a family were brutally assaulted by self-proclaimed cow vigilantes while skinning a dead cow, a traditional occupation among Dalits.

Powering pollution, heating homes: Why are Delhi residents opposing incineration-based waste management

While going through the 50-odd-page report Burning Waste, Warming Cities? Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Incineration and Urban Heat in Delhi , authored by Chythenyen Devika Kulasekaran of the well-known advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability, I came across a reference to Sukhdev Vihar — a place where I lived for almost a decade before moving to Moscow in 1986 as the foreign correspondent of the daily Patriot and weekly Link .

Boeing 787 under scrutiny again after Ahmedabad crash: Whistleblower warnings resurface

A heart-wrenching tragedy has taken place in Ahmedabad. As widely reported, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crashed shortly after taking off from the city’s airport, currently operated by India’s top tycoon, Gautam Adani. The aircraft was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. As expected, the crash has led to an outpouring of grief across the country. At the same time, there have been demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the Civil Aviation Minister.

Ahmedabad's civic chaos: Drainage woes, waterlogging, and the illusion of Olympic dreams

In response to my blog on overflowing gutter lines at several spots in Ahmedabad's Vejalpur, a heavily populated area, a close acquaintance informed me that it's not just the middle-class housing societies that are affected by the nuisance. Preeti Das, who lives in a posh locality in what is fashionably called the SoBo area, tells me, "Things are worse in our society, Applewood."

Global NGO slams India for media clampdown during conflict, downplays Pakistan

A global civil rights group, Civicus has taken strong exception to how critical commentaries during the “recent conflict” with Pakistan were censored in India, with journalists getting “targeted”. I have no quarrel with the Civicus view, as the facts mentioned in it are all true.

Whither SCOPE? Twelve years on, Gujarat’s official English remains frozen in time

While writing my previous blog on how and why Narendra Modi went out of his way to promote English when he was Gujarat chief minister — despite opposition from people in the Sangh Parivar — I came across an interesting write-up by Aakar Patel, a well-known name among journalists and civil society circles.

Remembering Vijay Rupani: A quiet BJP leader who listened beyond party lines

Late evening on June 12, a senior sociologist of Indian origin, who lives in Vienna, asked me a pointed question: Of the 241 persons who died as a result of the devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad the other day, did I know anyone? I had no hesitation in telling her: former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, whom I described to her as "one of the more sensible persons in the BJP leadership."

A conman, a demolition man: How 'prominent' scribes are defending Pritish Nandy

How to defend Pritish Nandy? That’s the big question some of his so-called fans seem to ponder, especially amidst sharp criticism of his alleged insensitivity during his journalistic career. One such incident involved the theft and publication of the birth certificate of Masaba Gupta, daughter of actor Neena Gupta, in the Illustrated Weekly of India, which Nandy was editing at the time. He reportedly did this to uncover the identity of Masaba’s father.

Why India’s renewable energy sector struggles under 2,735 compliance hurdles

Recently, during a conversation with an industry representative, I was told how easy it is to set up a startup in Singapore compared to India. This gentleman, who had recently visited Singapore, explained that one of the key reasons Indians living in the Southeast Asian nation prefer establishing startups there is because the government is “extremely supportive” when it comes to obtaining clearances. “They don’t want to shift operations to India due to the large number of bureaucratic hurdles,” he remarked.

Search This Blog