International NGOs To Pay $3,500 As Registration Fees

International Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) seeking to work in South Sudan will now pay 3,500 dollars, as against 600 dollars, an official told Reuters.

Two years after emerging as an independent state, the oil-rich country was plunged into conflict in December 2013 as rivalry between President Salva Kiir and his then-vice president, Riek Machar, exploded into violence.

In the new order, local groups will also pay 500 dollars, up from 450 dollars.

“This is to notify all NGOs operating in the Republic of South Sudan that the registration and licensing fees for 2017 to 2018 have been changed due to the increasing demand of humanitarian needs in the country,” said Deng Tong Kenjok, registrar of NGOs at the government’s Relief and Rehabilitation commission.

Rajab Mohandis, executive director of the Sudanese Network for Democratic Elections, said the new fees would hamper the work of small local NGOs.

He told Reuters that they would make registration “quite unaffordable” for those working “in only one county or state”.

Kenjok said the war-ravaged nation counts 130 international non-governmental organisations and 500 local ones, including civil society groups.

South Sudan is acutely in need of aid.

No fewer than three million people have fled their homes, creating Africa’s biggest refugee crisis since the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

The economy is in a tailspin, harvests are devastated by drought and millions face famine.

Aid workers are also contending with extreme risks: a UN official said in April that 82 had been killed since the civil war began.(Reuters/NAN)

Source: http://niyitabiti.net/2017/05/international-ngos-to-pay-3500-as-registration-fees/

Wave of humanity: NGO helps communities affected by Chennai floods rebuild houses

The Bhoomika Trust has built 18 houses in areas badly affected by the floods.

After the deluge in Chennai in December 2015, Parvathi, a 47-year-old daily wage worker from Manamathi, was clueless about how she was going to re-rebuild her house that was completely damaged. But an NGO from Chennai came to her rescue and helped her build a permanent house where she now stays with her family.

The Bhoomika Trust has built seven permanent houses in the area, which was badly affected by the floods with many of the thatched houses drowning in the water.

“There was water everywhere around us, there were also snakes and leeches in the water. We were staying in community halls without knowing what we will do next. Few days after the flood, this organisation provided us with food, clothes and other necessary items,” Parvathi said.

Other areas like Poondi and Manjankarai also have a similar story to tell.

“We were providing food to about 50,000 to 60,000 people to all these areas in Chennai and then when we saw that all these three places were badly affected by the flood, we decided to build houses for them,” said Aruna Subramaniam, trustee of Bhoomika Trust.

In total, the organisation has built 18 houses. “We want to work with these communities, so after building these houses, we want to focus on the livelihood of these people, provide them vocational training and also want to educate their children,” said Aruna.

In their first run, they have built seven houses in Manamathi village in Kancheepuram district, seven houses in Arumbakkam village in Poondi and four houses in Manjankaranai in Thiruvallur district.

“We have used this opportunity to look at holistic development of these communities by providing toilets, upgrading water resources and plans to work with the communities in the fields of vocational training and education,” said Jayendra Panchapakesan, Trustee of Bhoomika Foundation.

It took about three months to build these houses. “It took more time to take permission to build houses in these places. Permanent houses were made for people who had pattas and temporary for the ones who had no objection certificates from the local administration,” said Aruna.

Bhoomika is a Disaster Management focussed NGO which has defined its vision to include not just immediate relief, but a sustained programme to create infrastructure to rebuild damaged homes, schools, orphanages.

Watch the video:

https://youtu.be/WCNIvLUIiYg

Source: http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/wave-humanity-ngo-helps-communities-affected-chennai-floods-rebuild-houses-61485

The tree of kindness

A city-based organisation works towards welfare of children in anganwadis

There is no clear formula for magic and there isn’t one to ensure a lifetime of self-fulfilment in personal and career terms. Research, however, shows that early childhood education is an extremely powerful tool to promote continued success in school, in the workplace, and in social and civic realms.

The Ashoka Tree, an NGO based in Kochi, aims to do just that. Founded by Reethika Azariah Kuruvilla and Prathiba Nair, The Ashoka Tree wants to ensure that every child in anganwadis gets quality education. Reethika, a mother of two, says, “We work towards bridging the gap between those of us who have so much to live comfortably and those who have not enough to cover themselves on a rainy day.”

Through the Early Childhood Education Programme, the NGO aims to provide unaided play schools with the necessary infrastructure and toilet facilities good enough for children aged between 2 and 6 who attend them. ‘The Blackboard Project’ has been one of its successful initiatives by which it secured blackboards for the anganwadis it works with in Kochi.

The kindergarten section of Global Public School, donated leftover stationery from the past school year to The Ashoka Tree, which was made into little art and stationery kits for over 100 children in anganwadis in Wayanad. They also provided first-aid kits that contain everything from bandages and Dettol to thermometers, paediatric paracetamol and nasal saline to these anganwadis.

Starting small with just two anganwadis, the NGO now associates with many anganwadis in Kochi, and has donors ranging from individuals to bigger corporates. A recent donation drive at the Phillips Innovative Campus, Bangalore, was held to help 133 play schools in Payyanur, Kannur, that The Ashoka Tree works with.

A team from the Executive Post Graduate Programme, IIM Kozhikode, worked with The Ashoka Tree to create a portal called ‘Helping Hands’, which would enable patrons and Child Development Officers connect with the NGO online so there could be easier access for both requirements and donations.

The NGO began ‘Run The World-An Upcycling Initiative’ with unemployed mothers, mainly women from the Mahila Mandiram and unaided play school teachers. These women were taught to make lifestyle products with recyclable and unused material. The organization also works with special schools and orphanages across the State, often providing monthly rations and is always on the lookout for more donors to contribute to the daily functioning and growth of these children.

Named after the ‘sorrowless tree’, The Ashoka Tree operates out of Kochi, but aims to expand it’s reach and spread love, hope and happiness in the lives of people it touches. As they say, “if each of us does one act of kindness every day, there’s no way the planet can’t become a better place.” What’s your act of kindness today?

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/the-tree-of-kindness/article18381108.ece

Rights lens on India

New Delhi, May 4: At least a dozen countries questioned India about the use of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act to "arbitrarily shut down" NGOs during the Universal Periodic Review of India's human rights record at Geneva today.

America, Australia, Germany, Norway and the Czech Republic were among the countries that flagged the FCRA in their brief interventions as the peer review continued late into the night.

In all, 113 countries were scheduled to participate in the Universal Periodic Review involving India, and each country's representative had about a minute to raise questions.

India's failure to ratify the UN convention against torture or repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act remained on the table along with Kashmir, as in the first two reviews in 2008 and 2012. Alongside them were new concerns relating to the attacks on civil society, including those through the FCRA to force NGOs out of action.

The attacks on African students too found mention and drew an expression of regret from the Indian delegation, led by attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi.

India strove to tell the other countries that the nation of Gandhi and Buddha should not be seen as racist because of these attacks.

Rohatgi sought to allay the fears raised by the cow vigilantes' atrocities and the attacks on the minorities by reaffirming India's commitment to human rights and tolerance and to ending discrimination. Human rights activists working in India hoped that such sentiments would translate into action back home.

The activists also questioned Rohatgi's defence of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which allows soldiers to shoot on suspicion in areas designated trouble spots, and his claim that there was no misuse of this law.

In his opening statement, the attorney-general had tried to showcase the country's human rights record by highlighting a slew of rights-based laws India had enacted.

Ironically, all these laws had been enacted under previous governments, and activists have been accusing the Narendra Modi dispensation of diluting them, whether it's the Right to Information Act or the Food Security Act.

Ahead of the session at the UN Human Rights Council, Meenakshi Ganguly of Human Rights Watch had tweeted in the morning: "India claims a vocal civil society ahead of Human Rights Council review, but is crushing dissent at home. India's state submission celebrates diversity, plurality to Human Rights Council, but what of ongoing violent vigilante attacks?"

The Indian American Muslim Council said in a statement: "The Indian government's latest report sent to the UN ahead of the 2017 Universal Periodic Review on May 4 is deeply disappointing as it fails to address even a single issue of human rights violations, both by State agencies and non-State elements, especially those that have been carrying out attacks on India's social and religious minorities in the name of cow protection, love jihad, ghar wapasi, etc."

Source: https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170505/jsp/nation/story_149923.jsp#.WQwNI9KGPIU

NGO crackdown raised at UN meet, Minority rights, women’s rights to LGBT rights, India says freedoms secure

Concept of torture alien to our culture: Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi

Several countries expressed concerns on India’s FCRA laws, incidents of religious intolerance, women’s rights and even racism

From complaints of eroding minority rights and religious intolerance to the crackdown against NGOs, women’s rights to LGBT rights, Kashmir to Afrophobia — India’s track record on human rights came under sharp scrutiny at the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday in Geneva.

Several countries expressed concerns on India’s FCRA laws, incidents of religious intolerance, women’s rights and even racism. The Kashmir issue was also raised by Pakistan during the hearing of the third “Universal Periodic Review.” India has undergone this voluntary review twice before, in 2008 and 2012.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, who presented India’s position, strongly denied the allegations. “The right to fair trial and free legal aid up to the highest court are enshrined as fundamental rights in the Constitution of India and thus guaranteed to all individuals. So much so that as the Attorney General of India, I was summoned by the Supreme Court at 2 in the morning to hear a last-ditch petition, after several rounds of litigation, by a convict who was guilty of terrorism to escape punishment (a reference to the Yakub Memon case). This shows the importance attached to upholding of human rights by India,” he told the UNHRC.

Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka backed India on its human rights record. But a group of countries, including the US, Australia, Germany, Czech Republic, Norway and Ireland, asked India to look at its FCRA laws with US saying that there is “complete lack of transparency” in the implementation which affects NGOs in India.

Germany, Vatican, Kazakhstan, Kenya, UK, South Korea and the Netherlands expressed concern over the issues of rights of religious minorities and intolerance.

Pakistan called for a stop to the use of pellet guns. India countered saying the situation in Kashmir is due to Pakistan’s actions and there is zero tolerance to terrorism.

Haiti raised the issue of “Afrophobia” which was denied by an Indian delegate who called the country a “land of Buddha” which did not have a racist mindset and said that these incidents were a case of local crime.

While Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan and Liechtenstein were among countries which raised concerns on women’s rights, Israel and Ireland raised the issue of equal rights for the LGBT community. Several countries asked India to ratify the convention against torture.

Leading the Indian delegation, Rohatgi said that India makes no distinction between caste, creed, colour or religion of a citizen. “India is a secular state with no state religion,” he said, adding that the Indian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion to every individual. He said the right to free speech and expression occupies its rightful place in the core of the Constitution.

“As the world’s largest multi-layered democracy, we fully recognise the importance of free speech and expression. Our people are conscious of their political freedoms and exercise their choices at every opportunity,” Rohatgi said. “We believe in peace, non-violence and upholding human dignity. As such, the concept of torture is completely alien to our culture and it has no place in the governance of the nation.”

On the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Rohatgi said the Act is applied only to disturbed areas — few and in proximity to some international borders. Several countries, including the US, raised the issue of AFSPA. “Whether this Act should be repealed or not is a matter of on-going vibrant political debate in my country,” he said.

On transgenders, Rohatgi said that India has been at the forefront of recognising their equal rights. The Supreme Court gave a landmark judgement in 2014 directing the government to declare trans-genders a “third gender” and included them as an “Other Backward Class” entitled to affirmative action benefits.

The apex court also reinforced that trans-genders should have all rights under law, including marriage, adoption, divorce, succession and inheritance, Rohatgi added.

Rohatgi said India seeks to ensure inclusive development and the protection of rights of vulnerable groups and it has enacted a range of laws to address sexual assault and other gender-based crimes.

“We have overhauled the legal framework for dealing with child sexual assault,” he said, adding that India remains deeply committed towards reinforcing and accelerating efforts towards combating human trafficking.

Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/minority-rights-ngo-crackdown-raised-at-un-meet-india-says-freedoms-secure-4641197/

Rights lens on India – by use of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act

New Delhi, May 4: At least a dozen countries questioned India about the use of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act to "arbitrarily shut down" NGOs during the Universal Periodic Review of India's human rights record at Geneva today.

America, Australia, Germany, Norway and the Czech Republic were among the countries that flagged the FCRA in their brief interventions as the peer review continued late into the night.

In all, 113 countries were scheduled to participate in the Universal Periodic Review involving India, and each country's representative had about a minute to raise questions.

India's failure to ratify the UN convention against torture or repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act remained on the table along with Kashmir, as in the first two reviews in 2008 and 2012. Alongside them were new concerns relating to the attacks on civil society, including those through the FCRA to force NGOs out of action.

The attacks on African students too found mention and drew an expression of regret from the Indian delegation, led by attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi.

India strove to tell the other countries that the nation of Gandhi and Buddha should not be seen as racist because of these attacks.

Rohatgi sought to allay the fears raised by the cow vigilantes' atrocities and the attacks on the minorities by reaffirming India's commitment to human rights and tolerance and to ending discrimination. Human rights activists working in India hoped that such sentiments would translate into action back home.

The activists also questioned Rohatgi's defence of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which allows soldiers to shoot on suspicion in areas designated trouble spots, and his claim that there was no misuse of this law.

In his opening statement, the attorney-general had tried to showcase the country's human rights record by highlighting a slew of rights-based laws India had enacted.

Ironically, all these laws had been enacted under previous governments, and activists have been accusing the Narendra Modi dispensation of diluting them, whether it's the Right to Information Act or the Food Security Act.

Ahead of the session at the UN Human Rights Council, Meenakshi Ganguly of Human Rights Watch had tweeted in the morning: "India claims a vocal civil society ahead of Human Rights Council review, but is crushing dissent at home. India's state submission celebrates diversity, plurality to Human Rights Council, but what of ongoing violent vigilante attacks?"

The Indian American Muslim Council said in a statement: "The Indian government's latest report sent to the UN ahead of the 2017 Universal Periodic Review on May 4 is deeply disappointing as it fails to address even a single issue of human rights violations, both by State agencies and non-State elements, especially those that have been carrying out attacks on India's social and religious minorities in the name of cow protection, love jihad, ghar wapasi, etc."

Source: https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170505/jsp/nation/story_149923.jsp#.WQwKO9KGPIU

At United Nations meet - India faces stern test

India faced a series of tough questions at the United Nations Human Rights Council's (UNHRC) Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Thursday, with a host of the 112-member countries questioning it on the penalisation of same-sex sexual rights and the decriminalisation of marital rape, under section 377 and section 375 of the Indian Penal Code respectively.

This apart, several countries questioned India's commitment to ratifying the UN's convention on torture, to which it became a signatory in 1997. Surprisingly for India, more than a dozen countries asked for a review of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010.

Countries like Australia, Canada, Ireland, Sweden, Portugal, Namibia, Slovenia, among others, asked India to amend section 375 of the IPC to criminalise marital rape. In its reply to these recommendations, the Indian delegation under Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said that in its 172nd review of the country's rape laws, the law commission did not recommend for an amendment to section 375 to criminalise marital rape. India, however, said that the "government has recommended the law commission to deliberate on this issue."

With India's stand on granting equal rights to sexual minorities, several countries recommended a repeal of section 377 of the IPC. Countries like Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Israel, Canada, Iceland, Denmark and Spain were some of the countries who raised the issue. In its reply, India said that same-sex sexual relationships were decriminalised, and were then re-criminalised by the Supreme Court, when it dismissed a review petition by the central government in 2014. With a curative petition on the matter to be heard soon, the government said that there will be a review in the matter.

Surprisingly for India, several countries asked it to review FCRA to defend human rights activists.
TOUGH TALK

In its recommendations to India, Pakistan registered its protest against India’s stand on Kashmir. Pakistan said India must control its excesses in Kashmir and ban pellet guns, and allow Kashmir to have self-determination with a plebiscite. It found likely support in the US, who also raised the issue of the repeal of Afspa. India reiterated its tough stand, and said J&K is an integral part of India.

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-india-faces-stern-test-at-united-nations-meet-2428079

For new FCRA funding norms - U.S., Germany slam India at UN

Rohatgi defends India’s record at UN Human Rights Council

NGOs must abide by India’s laws, Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi told the UN’s Human Rights Council at Geneva, as the government faced a tough “peer review” by other countries at the Council. The Council members on Thursday recommended a revision in India’s Foreign Contribution Regulatory Act (FCRA), a repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, decriminalisation of homosexuality and the inclusion of marital rape in Indian laws on sexual violence.

“Supported by a rights-oriented constitutional framework, secular polity, independent judiciary, free and vibrant media, vocal civil society, and a range of national and State-level commissions that monitor compliance with human rights, India continues with its endeavours towards observance of human rights,” the Attorney-General replied, adding that the FCRA is a legitimate law that NGOs wishing to operate in India must follow.

The attack on the FCRA act came from nearly a dozen countries, mostly from Europe. The charge was led by the U.S. and Germany, who called the Act and the government’s actions “arbitrary”.

“India must defend the right to freedom of association, which includes the ability of civil society organisations to access foreign funding, and protect human rights defenders effectively against harassment and intimidation,” the German Ambassador to the UN mission in Geneva said, while the U.S. envoy decried the “complete lack of transparency” in the implementation of the FCRA.

Australia, Ireland, Norway, South Korea, Denmark and the Czech Republic were among other countries calling for a review of the FCRA that has led to the licences of about 14,000 of NGOs being cancelled because of alleged violations.

Attack on minorities

The government also faced criticism on violence against religious minorities from a number of countries. Pakistan’s statement was the sharpest, accusing India of failing to protect minorities “especially Muslims” from “mob violence” and “attacks by extremist groups affiliated to the government.”

Attacks on Africans in India appeared as a new subject of concern at the HRC proceedings, and the government said it accepted responsibility and had sought to prosecute all those responsible for the brutal beating of students at a mall in Noida in March 2017.

Nearly all 112 countries at the 5-yearly review of India’s record called for India to ratify the UN Additional Convention Against Torture (CAT). India is one of only nine countries which haven’t yet implemented the Torture convention, despite signing on to it in 1997. In 2012, India had also given a unilateral pledge to ratify CAT, but has yet to move forward on it, despite a Supreme Court directive in the matter. In his response on Thursday Mr. Rohatgi once again pledged to ratify it.

“It is shocking that five years after making that pledge India remains committed to not abolishing torture, and seems to admit it is an important tool in its law and order practices,” SC–appointed amicus curiae Colin Gonsalves told The Hindu calling the Attorney General’s response to the HRC members “mere time-pass”.

Responding to some of the sharpest criticism from the countries at the HRC over the Armed Forces Special Powers act, that gives forces operating in states like Jammu Kashmir and Manipur immunity from prosecution, India said the Act applies “only to disturbed areas where the law and order machinery is dealing with exigent circumstances like terrorism.” The attorney general Mr. Rohatgi added that the question on whether to repeal AFSPA “is a matter of on-going vibrant political debate” in the country. His response came days after he had told the SC that continuation of AFSPA was “an issue of national security”, defending the use of a human shield by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir in court.

Apart from all the criticism, which the government delegation comprising officials of the MEA, Women and Child Development Ministry and MHA said they would deliberate on, India won support in the room neighbours like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, who said “True to its multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-linguistic characteristics, India has been successful in upholding the ethos of respect for diversity and plurality in the country.”

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/us-germany-slam-india-for-new-funding-norms/article18385902.ece

By FCRA - NGOs thrown out of gear

“Governments use it as a tool to curb dissent, criticism”

The Universal Periodic Review of India by the Human Rights Council on Thursday came amid growing concern by non-profit organisations in Tamil Nadu over successive governments at the Centre using the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) as a tool allegedly to curb dissent and criticism.

Data collected by Civil Society Cell, a national platform for non-governmental organisations, show that 25 leading citizen groups, including Madurai-based People’s Watch, Lawyers Collective and Greenpeace, have had their licences permanently cancelled or suspended under FCRA. “There are many organisations, smaller and regional, which are apprehensive about details coming into the public domain,” said Anamika Mishra of the Cell.

In Tamil Nadu, the licences of over 1,800 NGOs, including leading charitable health organisations such as Voluntary Health Services (VHS), were cancelled between 2011 and 2016.“The governments are against people’s movements, against NGOs that oppose mining and dams, and work for the protection of land, forests, environment, animal rights. They feel the NGOs are affecting the country’s growth,” charged Mathew Cherian, chairman, Voluntary Action Network India.

“The government is against any kind of advocacy of rights. It wants the focus to be on welfare alone,” contended Andrew Sesuraj of Tamil Nadu Child Rights Observatory.

The People’s Watch, founded by Henry Tiphagne, came under scrutiny of the Home Ministry when he joined anti-nuclear activist S P Udayakumar to oppose the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project. The organisation’s FCRA licence has been suspended since 2012 and bank accounts frozen.

Post-suspension, the human rights education programme conducted by People’s Watch in 22 States with the help of partners ground to a halt. “All cases in courts had to continue. But we had no resources to pay lawyers. We had writ petitions pending. Our staff quit. All our activities have come to a standstill,” said Mr Tiphagne.

“The Modi government is using the FCRA licence as a carrot-and-stick policy and indulging in micro-management,” charged Sudha Ramalingam, advocate and founder of Manonmani Trust, which runs a home for elderly destitute women. “If the government can roll out red carpet for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the corporate sector, what could be wrong with NGOs receiving foreign funds to improve education, health and agriculture for the poor,” asked Mr. Sesuraj.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/ngos-thrown-out-of-gear-by-fcra/article18385305.ece

Indian Government Needs To Stop Targetting NGOs That Criticise It, Human Rights Watch Tells United Nations

With great power comes great responsibility.

Days before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) reviews India's human rights record, international advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked the UN to "condemn the crackdown on rights" in the country.

"United Nations member countries should call on India to stop targeting nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and others who criticize the government or its policies," according to an HRW press release.

The UN will conduct the Universal Periodic Review of India's human rights record on Thursday, 4 May.

"The UN review comes at a time when freedoms long-cherished in India are seriously being challenged and critics are increasingly under attack," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement. "UN member countries should raise alarm bells that India's proud history of respect for peaceful dissent crucial for protecting the poor and vulnerable is at real risk."

The international human rights organisation's statement refers to the Indian government's decision to refuse foreign funding to more than two dozen NGOs, as well as use of sedition laws to contain peaceful dissent.


Full Statement From Human Rights Watch:

United Nations member countries should call on India to stop targeting nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and others who criticize the government or its policies, Human Rights Watch said today. The UN Human Rights Council will conduct its third review of India's human rights record under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) procedure on May 4, 2017, in Geneva.

A Human Rights Watch submission to the UN on India highlights the government's abuse of overly broad laws to clamp down on NGOs and on the right to freedom of expression. The submission also details India's failure to contain and prosecute vigilante attacks on minorities by groups supporting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the lack of accountability for killings, torture, and other serious violations by state security forces.

"The UN review comes at a time when freedoms long-cherished in India are seriously being challenged and critics are increasingly under attack," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "UN member countries should raise alarm bells that India's proud history of respect for peaceful dissent crucial for protecting the poor and vulnerable is at real risk."

Since its last review in 2012, the Indian government has taken some positive steps, Human Rights Watch said. In 2013, the government amended its criminal laws to strengthen legal response to sexual assault against women. It also enacted new laws to protect rights, including to prosecute child sex abuse and to end the degrading and inhuman practice of "manual scavenging," the cleaning of human excreta by hand. It has amended laws to protect Dalit and tribal communities.

The government has decided to ratify the International Labour Organization Convention Nos. 138 and 182 on minimum age of employment and worst forms of child labor. The Supreme Court of India opposed impunity for security forces under laws such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). The court also recognized transgender people as a third gender, and ordered a review of its earlier judgment that had upheld a discriminatory colonial-era law criminalizing homosexuality.

Most urgently, UN member countries should flag concerns over the arbitrary use of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) to restrict foreign funding for NGOs, which a UN special rapporteur concluded was "not in conformity with international law, principles, and standards." In October 2016, the government refused to allow foreign funding for at least 25 NGOs, including several human rights groups and those defending the rights of the most marginalized.

Since the BJP-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, extremist Hindu groups have led mob attacks across the country to enforce "Hindu nationalism." Peaceful critics of the government have been charged with serious crimes such as sedition. There have been numerous incidents of violence against members of Dalit, Muslim, tribal, and Christian communities. Hindu vigilante groups killed at least 10 Muslims in separate incidents across the country since 2015 over suspicions that they killed, sold, or bought cows for beef. Churches were attacked in several states in 2015.

The authorities did not press robustly for prosecution of those responsible for the violence, and impunity for the assailants has contributed to a sense of government indifference to religious intolerance and majority targeting of minority communities.

Security forces and public officials remain largely unaccountable for serious human rights abuses. A May 2015 report by the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions concluded that "impunity remains a serious problem" and expressed regret that India had not repealed or at least significantly amended the AFSPA.

The government's failure to ensure justice for crimes committed by security forces in areas facing insurgency, and those under AFSPA, have fueled further violence, including attacks on security forces and public property. The government's response to violent street protests in Jammu and Kashmir state since July 2016 has resulted in nearly 100 deaths and left thousands injured, including protesters, bystanders, and members of security forces.

Numerous members of tribal communities across the country have been arbitrarily arrested and detained as suspected Maoist sympathizers across the country, as well as journalists, lawyers, and activists in Chhattisgarhstate, faced harassment and arbitrary arrest. Police reforms remained stalled even as police were accused oftorture and extrajudicial killings in a number of new cases.

The Indian government also failed to carry out recommendations from previous UPR reviews to ratify key human rights treaties. They include the Convention against Torture and its optional protocol, the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the optional protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights abolishing the death penalty, and the International Labour Organization Convention No. 189 on domestic work.

"India likes to point to its courts as the ultimate defender of human rights in the country, but the government has often ignored judicial orders for police reform or security force accountability," Ganguly said. "UN member countries should impress upon India that it should treat the UN review as an opportunity for honest reflection and to carve a way forward."


Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/05/02/indian-government-needs-to-stop-targetting-ngos-that-criticise-i_a_22064443/