India has stated that human rights should not be used as an instrument of political pressure or selective targeting of countries, opposing attempts to turn allegations and incomplete statistics into a negative characterisation of the world’s largest democracy. Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs Barkha Tamrakar made the remarks during the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee on the agenda item concerning the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances on Tuesday.
Tamrakar emphasised that human rights engagement must be based on dialogue, consultation, cooperation, non-selectivity, and transparency. She urged delegations to cite the report faithfully, not to inflate a humanitarian communication into a verdict. India remains prepared to clarify specific, properly documented cases through established channels but formally opposes converting unverified allegations or incomplete statistics into a negative portrayal of the country.
Her remarks came amid concerns from UN human rights experts over recent youth-led protests in New Delhi. Over 20 experts in Geneva expressed alarm over what they described as a repeatedly heavy-handed police response to peaceful demonstrations. The experts noted thousands of students and supporters gathered over recent months to protest government decisions on the education system and voter-roll deletions affecting 130 million individuals.
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The experts called on authorities to ensure justice for reported human rights violations during the protests. Last week, India rejected as hearsay a report by a UN human rights expert that highlighted a satirical political movement by youth and alleged retaliation. New Delhi urged the expert to verify claims before vilifying issues based on unverified allegations.
The UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner had expressed concern over reports of mass detentions of demonstrators, protest leaders, civil society members, lawyers, and journalists before and during large-scale demonstrations in Delhi. India described the office’s remarks as unwarranted and an unacceptable interference in the country’s internal affairs.
India’s position at the UN General Assembly emphasised that human rights discussions must avoid politicisation and selective application. The country stressed its willingness to engage constructively while defending its sovereignty against what it perceives as inappropriate external scrutiny of domestic matters.
