The United States has shone a spotlight on the grave human rights situation in India’s northeastern state of Manipur, describing it as marked by “significant abuses” following the outbreak of ethnic violence last year. The scathing assessment is included in the U.S. State Department’s annual 2023 Human Rights Report, released recently.
The report paints a grim picture of the fallout from the conflict between the Kuki and Meitei ethnic groups in Manipur since May 2023. It states that at least 175 people were killed, and more than 60,000 were displaced between May and November last year alone due to the raging violence.
Disturbing accounts by activists and journalists cited in the report point to rampant armed conflict, rapes, assaults, and the wanton destruction of homes, businesses, and places of worship in Manipur amidst the ethnic clashes. The Indian government’s response is criticized as “ineffective”, with the report highlighting the Supreme Court’s rebuke over the failure to halt the spiralling violence.
The report notes that “the government deployed security forces, implemented daily curfews, and shut down the internet in response to the violence.” This offers a glimpse into the state’s volatile situation, which has prompted severe restrictive measures.
The executive summary is particularly damning, listing out a litany of “significant human rights issues” plaguing India last year. These include “credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture, harsh prison conditions, arbitrary arrest or detention, transnational repression, restrictions on privacy, freedom of expression, media freedom, peaceful assembly and association.”
While the Indian government has yet to respond, it has historically dismissed such U.S. reports as being based on “misinformation and flawed understanding.” Last year, the Ministry of External Affairs termed the 2022 report’s content “motivated and biased commentary by some U.S. officials.”
However, the 2023 report’s sharp focus on the Manipur crisis is likely to renew scrutiny of the Indian government’s handling of the ethnic strife and the alleged human rights violations in the state. The report also touches upon other contentious issues like the raids on the BBC offices by Indian tax authorities and the transnational killing of a Sikh activist in Canada, further highlighting areas of concern.
Also Read: BJP Expels Eshwarappa For Contesting As Independent Candidate
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
