India’s reluctance to ratify UN torture convention undermines democratic commitments, says MASUM

By A Representative

On the 38th anniversary of the UN Convention Against Torture (UN CAT), Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) issued a powerful statement condemning the continued use of torture in India and the state's failure to ratify the treaty. The organization observed the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture by standing in solidarity with survivors and demanding systemic reforms to end impunity and state-sponsored violence.

Despite having signed the Convention in 1997, India has yet to ratify it, and according to MASUM, this delay perpetuates a "facade of commitment" while torture is increasingly normalized. The group cites increasing reports of arbitrary arrests under laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the construction of informal detention centers, and illegal pushbacks of Indian citizens across borders.

Kirity Roy, Secretary of MASUM and National Convenor of PACTI (Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity), asserted,

"Without the abolition of torture, over half the citizenry—comprising, but not limited to, women and religious and caste minorities—risk being subjected to abuse with impunity in India."

Roy also criticized the failure of key institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission and over 175 Human Rights Institutions (HRIs), calling them "unresponsive and dysfunctional." He noted India’s non-implementation of the Istanbul Protocol, which lays out international standards for investigating and documenting torture.

MASUM outlined its core demands:

- Immediate ratification of the UN CAT and enactment of domestic anti-torture legislation.

- Implementation of the Istanbul Protocol across all custodial institutions.

- Release of arbitrarily detained individuals.

- Restructuring of national and state human rights bodies for true accountability.

- Establishment of Human Rights Courts in each Subdivision/Taluk as per the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.

Roy concluded by reaffirming MASUM’s position:

"We call for an end to torture and all forms of state violence, and for accountability at every step to uphold peace in the literal sense."

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