Why in News?
- Recently, the Human Rights Watch in its World Report 2023 stated that Indian authorities had “intensified and broadened” their crackdown on activist groups and the media throughout year 2022.
- It also claimed that the present-day Central ruling party used abusive and discriminatory policies to repress minorities.
Key Highlights of the report-
- As per the report Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party-led government used abusive and discriminatory policies to repress Muslims and other minorities.
- The HRW said authorities across India arrested activists, journalists, and other critics of the government on what it called “politically motivated” criminal charges, involving that of terrorism.
- It added that they also misused laws forbidding forced religious conversions to target Christians, particularly from Dalit and Adivasi communities.
- On Jammu and Kashmir, the report said that even after three years of removal of Article 370, the government continued to restrict free expression, peaceful assembly, and other basic rights there.
- It highlighted that rights groups were harassed by Indian authorities throughout the country through tax raids, the use of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act, and other allegations of financial irregularities.
About Human Rights Watch-
- Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organisation set up in 1978 as “Helsinki Watch,” primarily aimed at investigating rights abuses in countries that signed the Helsinki Accords.
- At present, its ambit has expanded to around 100 countries worldwide.
- Its Headquarters is situated in New York City.
- Helsinki Accords (1975) was a key diplomatic agreement signed in Helsinki, Finland, at the conclusion of the 1st Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (now Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe).
- Primarily an effort to decrease tension between the Soviet and Western blocs, they were signed by all the countries of Europe, the US and Canada.
- The agreement made the 35 signatory nations pledge to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.
India’s various initiatives for Human Rights-
- Fundamental Rights– Articles 14 to 32.
- Directive Principles of State Policy– Including the right to social security, right to work, to free choice of employment, and protection against unemployment, right to equal pay for equal work, right to existence worthy of human dignity, right to free & compulsory education, equal justice & free legal aid etc.
- Statutory Support-
- Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993 (amended in 2019). NHRC was founded under this Act.
- Role in International Convention-
- India played a major role in drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
- India has also ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).