US Report on Human Rights Violation in India
Human Rights is a topic which always leads the headlines. It is an essential right which is associated with all human beings who are living and breathing. It is a right which is attached to us since our birth. It cannot be suspended at any moment in time or during any emergency.
Human rights are given to all regardless of their sex, caste, creed, race, colour, status etc. It is a universal right which applies to all. The United Nations makes sure they are adhered to by all the countries.
We will be talking about India in particular. India is a highly democratic nation which has a parliamentary form of government with the Prime Minister as its head. India is one of the most populous states that houses multiple infestations which should always be kept in check by the respective authorities.
Human Rights are always a topic of discussion in the Indian threshold due to varied reasons. US ‘Department of State’ comes out with an annual report of violations of Human Rights in India which speaks about the various atrocities which the people have suffered due to the negligent authorities.
Specifically, it goes on to talk about the integrity of the people which is in danger due to the increased extrajudicial killings and custodial violence done by the competent authorities. The police are suspected of the sudden disappearances of the people detained and there are also reports of unlawful detainments and arrests of people.
The corruption among the officers is the primary motive behind all of this. This hinders the growth of the judiciary rather than pushing it forward. The poor condition of the detainees and prisoners is also a cause over which light should be thrown upon. There should be regular checks and balances done among police officers to do away with the alleged corruption that persists.
Next, the report goes on to talk about the freedom of speech and expression under which they talk about the limited freedom which persists in India. The freedom of the press is always endangered due to public and political sentiments. Many journalists have been arrested and have been harassed due to no alleged reason. Internet freedom had also been banned in certain places due to such violent and gruesome events taking place endangering the life of journalists and the common people.
The report also talks about the gruesome act of rape which is a criminal offence. Although marital rape and rape of adult males are yet to be properly recognised by the court and also made a penal offence.
The punishment for violating a woman’s honour is a minimum of 10 years and for a minor, it is 20 years. Gang rape is associated with the highest order of punishment being the death penalty and life imprisonment. Women are not assets and should be treated with dignity and respect.
The case of dowry deaths should also be taken seriously as the woman is purported to grave violence and death which is inflicted upon her by the husband and his family because of unreasonable demands. Abortion rights should be equal for both married and unmarried women.
There should be no discrimination based on status and any woman can choose to abort the unwanted pregnancy within 24 weeks of the pregnancy. There also comes the discrimination faced by the scheduled castes and tribes which is very demeaning and is an attack on their honour as individuals.
The report also talks about several other topics such as freedom of worker rights meaning, no forced labour and equal pay for equal rights. There should be no gender discrimination on account of gender and the efficiency of the work should be taken into the account. There should be acceptable conditions of work according to the OSH (Occupational Sexual and Health Standards). It also talks about the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and the protection of their rights.
This report talks about the many fallacies which are faced in the country for a long time in memorial. Even though there have been drastic measures taken but they are falling short since these dubious activities are still in practice. The government should look into this matter seriously as the numbers for these crimes are increasing rather than decreasing.
