On Canada’s Human Rights Recommendations at the UN’s Universal Periodic Review of India |
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November 10th, 2022
On Thursday, Canada’s UN representative called out the Indian government’s dismal human rights record during a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the country.
Justice For All Canada applauds all UN member states for raising concerns about state-sanctioned violence against minorities, hate speech, and draconian laws in India.
The UPR represents a significant opportunity to recommend human rights improvements for vulnerable people. However, it is insufficient to address the worsening situation in India. Nationalist leaders of India’s BJP continue using their platforms to incite genocidal hate speech and discrimination against Muslim minority groups. Harmful rhetoric shared by leading members of Narendra Modi’s government has also emboldened extremist groups to attack religious minorities with total impunity.
“Canada acknowledging state-sanctioned crimes against humanity in India warrants diplomatic action from the government. We urge an independent investigation of ongoing oppression and racist policies impacting millions of Muslims, Christians, Dalits, and other vulnerable groups in India,” shared Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Must Act
Ahead of the 2022 Universal Periodic Review (UPR), two submissions were made by our US-based Save India from Fascism campaign.
Canadian human activists appreciate the overdue recommendations made by Canada’s UN representatives. As a leader in promoting global protection of vulnerable groups, Canada has not exercised its full potential to advocate for persecuted religious minorities in India. For instance, concrete recommendations are needed to combat the BJP amending laws that threaten the citizenship of Muslim citizens (Citizenship Amendment Act). Similarly, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has deprived thousands of Muslims of their right to nationality, leading many to face internment in detention centres.
Justice For All Canada remains committed to combating hatemongering, extremism and crimes against humanity facing minorities in India.
We call on Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly to hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling BJP government accountable for egregious human rights violations and religious freedoms.
On Thursday, Canada’s UN representative called out the Indian government’s dismal human rights record during a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the country.
Justice For All Canada applauds all UN member states for raising concerns about state-sanctioned violence against minorities, hate speech, and draconian laws in India.
The UPR represents a significant opportunity to recommend human rights improvements for vulnerable people. However, it is insufficient to address the worsening situation in India. Nationalist leaders of India’s BJP continue using their platforms to incite genocidal hate speech and discrimination against Muslim minority groups. Harmful rhetoric shared by leading members of Narendra Modi’s government has also emboldened extremist groups to attack religious minorities with total impunity.
“Canada acknowledging state-sanctioned crimes against humanity in India warrants diplomatic action from the government. We urge an independent investigation of ongoing oppression and racist policies impacting millions of Muslims, Christians, Dalits, and other vulnerable groups in India,” shared Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Must Act
Ahead of the 2022 Universal Periodic Review (UPR), two submissions were made by our US-based Save India from Fascism campaign.
Canadian human activists appreciate the overdue recommendations made by Canada’s UN representatives. As a leader in promoting global protection of vulnerable groups, Canada has not exercised its full potential to advocate for persecuted religious minorities in India. For instance, concrete recommendations are needed to combat the BJP amending laws that threaten the citizenship of Muslim citizens (Citizenship Amendment Act). Similarly, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has deprived thousands of Muslims of their right to nationality, leading many to face internment in detention centres.
- Increased emphasis should have been placed on the gravity of persecution based on religious affiliation, including demolitions of Muslim-owned homes and businesses and widespread mob lynchings of Muslims and Dalits.
- The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) should be described as a draconian law used to unlawfully target activists and journalists, resulting in their prolonged and arbitrary detention.
- Canada also failed to raise the issue of Kashmir, an Indigenous territory experiencing high levels of arbitrary detention, police brutality, and ongoing settler-colonialism, whereby Kashmiris are losing their land.
- Lastly, there was no mention of impunity for right-wing perpetrators of violent discrimination.
Justice For All Canada remains committed to combating hatemongering, extremism and crimes against humanity facing minorities in India.
We call on Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly to hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling BJP government accountable for egregious human rights violations and religious freedoms.