India witnessed significant human rights breaches in 2022, says US report

The annual USreport on human rights practices, which was published on Monday (March 20), cited "significant human rights issues" and abuses in India, according to the USState Department, including allegations of the targeting of religious minorities, dissidents, and journalists.

The findings came over a year after Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a rare open criticism of India's human rights record, said America was keeping a watchon what it described as an increase in violations in Indiaby some government, police, and prison officials, as reported by Reuters.

Due to the strong economic links between the two nations and India's growing significance to Washington in its efforts to balance China in the region, the USrarely criticises India.

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In recent years, under the leadership of prime ministerNarendra Modi'sBharatiya Janata Party (BJP), advocacy groups have expressed concern about what they perceive to be a deteriorating human rights situation in India.

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Human Rights Watch has stated that the Indian government's policies and actions specifically target Muslims, and Modi'sruling party has been criticised for promoting religious polarisation since assuming power in 2014.

The United Nations human rights office described a 2019 citizenship law as "fundamentally discriminatory" because it excluded Muslim immigrants from neighbouring nations; critics also point to anti-conversion legislation that questioned the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of religion; and the revocation of Kashmir's special status in 2019, reported Reuters.

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India has fallen from 140th to 150th in the annual Reporters Without Borders Global Press Freedom Index rankings since Modi assumed office, which is its lowest position yet. According to internet advocacy group Access Now, India has also topped the global list for the largest number of internet shutdowns for five years in a row, including in 2022.

"Civil society organisations expressed concern that the central government sometimes used UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) to detain human rights activists and journalists," the USreport said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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