India has strongly rejected a report by a United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association, accusing the expert of relying on anonymous and unverified claims to make sweeping allegations about the country’s young population.
Speaking at a meeting of the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee in New York on Friday, Indian diplomat Anuj Swarup said reports based on unverifiable information were damaging the credibility of the world body and its institutions.
“A sweeping charge against the world’s largest youth population, resting on anonymous and unverified claims is not evidence,” Swarup said, taking exception to the report by Special Rapporteur Gina Romero on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association. Describing the report as hearsay presented as an official UN document, Swarup said, “It is hearsay dressed up as a UN report, and my delegation rejects it outright. “A mandate holder who relies on anonymous inputs to generalise for 1.4 billion people does a disservice to the very mandate she holds,” said Swarup, a first secretary at India’s UN mission in Geneva. “Violent responses to protests in our neighbourhood, as well as in the West, have gone uncommented” in Turk’s reports, he said.
India Cites Government Response To Student Protests
In India, these freedoms, together with freedom of speech and expression, are guaranteed to every citizen under Article 19 of our Constitution, and are protected by an independent judiciary, a free press, and an empowered National Human Rights Commission,” Swarup said.
“In which repressive state does a satirical youth party question the government, marches on the capital and then sits across the table with senior national leaders?” he asked, referring to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Swarup also said Romero appeared to have overlooked Turk’s remarks at the Human Rights Council last month, when he referred to the importance of engaging with young leaders in the context of youth-led movements in India. “When students protested this summer over irregularities in public examinations, the government engaged constructively with the youth,” Turk said. Earlier reporting noted: In a statement delivered at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee during an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, First Secretary Anuj Swarup said India’s Constitution guarantees these freedoms to every citizen.
Earlier reporting noted: India also challenged the report’s assessment of civic space for young people in India, citing their participation in political movements and engagement with senior government leaders. Earlier reporting noted: “India takes note of the report of the special rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
