Human Rights in India: A Year of Disturbing Developments

Annual Human Rights Report Highlights

Every year, the organization I represent releases a report assessing human rights conditions in India, which is part of Amnesty International's global review focusing on various violations, primarily by state actors.

As I reviewed the draft for this year's report, updated through September, I felt it was important to share key findings with readers. This summary will highlight some troubling incidents.

In January, Uttarakhand enacted regulations enforcing a Uniform Civil Code, requiring the registration of live-in relationships with state authorities, ostensibly to prevent fraudulent religious conversions. These regulations were implemented without considering a report from a nine-member panel appointed by the government.

February saw Rajasthan introduce legislation that criminalizes consensual interfaith marriages involving conversion, proposing a ten-year prison sentence for Muslims marrying Hindus and vice versa. Additionally, Maharashtra passed a resolution aimed at obstructing interfaith marriages. In the same month, the Malvan Municipal Corporation demolished the scrap shop owned by the father of a minor boy who made comments following India's victory over Pakistan in a cricket match.

In March, Maharashtra police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against comedian Kunal Kamra for his stand-up show titled 'Naya Bharat' (New India), which led to violence at the venue. This incident was part of a broader pattern of state abuse against freedom of expression. The previous month, Delhi police detained twelve students from Jamia Milia Islamia University who were protesting against show cause notices issued to two PhD students for allegedly sloganeering without prior permission from university authorities in 2024. In March, Assam police arrested journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumdar for covering a protest regarding alleged financial misconduct at a state-run bank, where the chief minister is a director.

April brought an FIR against folk singer Neha Singh Rathore in Lucknow for her remarks on militant attacks in Pahalgam that resulted in 26 fatalities. In May, India revoked the Overseas Citizenship of India status for British-Kashmiri academic Nitasha Kaul, known for her critiques of rising authoritarianism in the country.

Also in May, Nagpur police filed an FIR against three individuals, including Pushpa Sathidar, the widow of late activist Vira Sathidar, for reciting Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem 'Hum Dekhenge'. Haryana police registered two FIRs against Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an associate professor at Ashoka University, over social media posts related to 'Operation Sindoor'.

Nagpur police arrested 26-year-old Rejaz M Siddique for allegedly insulting Operation Sindoor on Instagram, charging him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

From April 22 to May 8, the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights documented at least 184 hate crimes targeting Muslims following the Pahalgam attack.

In June, India restricted access to the Instagram account of The Savala Vada, a satirical meme page inspired by The Onion. Mumbai police detained 19 individuals who gathered at Azad Maidan to support Palestinians.

July saw India order X (formerly Twitter) to block over 2,000 accounts, including two belonging to Reuters News. The same month, the Maharashtra Special Public Security Act was enacted, criminalizing dissent under the guise of public safety.

In August, Kashmir banned 25 books authored by journalists, historians, feminists, and peace scholars, accusing them of glorifying terrorism and inciting violence. Guwahati police summoned journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar regarding a sedition case without providing further details.

The following month, a court in Gandhinagar issued notices to journalists Abhisaar Sharma and Raju Parulekar for reporting on the sale of a large tract of land to the Adani group at a minimal price in Assam.

The plight of vulnerable populations continued unabated. In May, 40 Rohingyas were blindfolded and flown to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, only to be cast into the sea and forced to swim to an island in Myanmar. Following the Pahalgam attack, at least 300 Muslims were 'pushed back' to Bangladesh from Assam.

In May, Assam announced it would issue arms licenses to residents, particularly in Muslim-majority districts. In early July, around 1,800 families were rendered homeless due to an eviction drive in Goalpara, predominantly affecting Muslims.

Later in July, Assam initiated a large-scale eviction operation in Uriamghat, a largely Muslim-populated area, to reclaim over 11,000 bighas of forest land. This operation was halted by the Supreme Court due to numerous due process violations.

In September, India repealed four previous laws, now categorizing asylum seekers as 'illegal migrants'.

As we remain in October, more developments are anticipated.

Umar Khalid and other Muslim student activists continue to be held in pre-trial detention for their alleged roles in the February 2020 North East Delhi violence, which resulted in 53 deaths, 38 of whom were Muslims.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has also released a report expressing concern over the use of restrictive laws and harassment against human rights defenders and independent journalists, leading to arbitrary detentions and a shrinking civic space, particularly in Kashmir. He urged for increased efforts to address violence and displacement in Manipur through dialogue, peacebuilding, and human rights.

India's response to these concerns was to broadcast a story on Doordarshan, titled 'India Slams UN Human Rights for Unfounded and Baseless Comment on Kashmir and Manipur'.

By Aakar Patel