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India not protecting minorities, misusing terror law: Amnesty

LONDON: Amnesty International accused the Indian government on Wednesday of failing to protect the rights of minorities and misusing an anti-terrorism law to suppress political dissent.

“The right of minorities to live in the country as equals was increasingly undermined by both state and non-state actors despite it being clearly asserted in the constitution,” the London-based watchdog said in its report on 2002. “Religious minorities, particularly Muslims, were increasingly targeted for abuse,” Amnesty said. “In Gujarat, Muslims were victims of massacres allegedly masterminded by nationalist groups with the connivance of state agencies.” Communal riots in Gujarat last year left about 2,000 people dead, mostly Muslims, according to human rights groups. Amnesty said about 140,000 people fled their homes in the aftermath of the violence and many were still homeless months after.

“The Gujarat government did not actively fulfil its duty to provide appropriate relief and rehabilitation to the survivors,” the report said. Justice was hampered by the fact that the police, accused of colluding with the attackers, were in charge of investigating the riots, Amnesty said. The international campaign against terrorism and heightened tensions with arch rival Pakistan contributed to giving undue legitimacy to various forms of discrimination against Muslims, Amnesty said. The group also criticised the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).

The law was used to “detain political opponents” in a number of states including Kashmir, gripped by Muslim insurgency since 1989, it said. Amnesty noted that the security forces “continued to enjoy virtual impunity for human rights abuses as a result of provisions in special security laws like POTA.”

The people of Kashmir, as well as some states in India’s northeast, continued to be targeted by armed opposition groups, Amnesty said, adding that 830 people were killed in the run-up to state elections in Kashmir last year. Socially and economically maginalised groups, backward castes, tribals, women and minorities, were discriminated against by police and “vulnerable” to torture and ill treatment, which was widespread, Amnesty said.

Human rights activists suffered increased isolation with their activities frequently branded as anti-national, it said. International human rights monitors were denied access to areas of armed conflict and were granted limited access to the rest of the country.

On capital punishment, the report said at least 29 people were sentenced to death but the number of executions was not known. —AFP

AI worried by Kashmir rights abuses

LONDON: Amnesty International(AI) Secretary General Irene Khan on Wednesday said she was concerned over human rights violations in Indian-held Kashmir. “Amnesty International is concerned about human rights violations anywhere in the world particularly when the violations are not investigated properly and dealt with,” she said after the launch of the AI’s annual report 2003. “In Kashmir’s context we have raised these issues with the Indian government and will continue to work on that,” she said. She hoped that India and Pakistan would make efforts to “bring about a situation where human rights in Kashmir can be protected and not become a political issue between the two countries.” “We are concerned about what happened to individuals at the hands of Indian security forces. We are also extremely concerned about the abuses committed by armed groups in Jammu and Kashmir,” she said. Ms Khan said the AI had demanded an investigation into such incidents and “we expect the concerned authorities to ensure people’s security.” She said the Prevention of Terrorist Act (POTA) did not have the “appropriate human rights protection in it”. She said the law undermined human rights guarantees provided under the Indian Constitution. —APP

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