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US report on human rights of minorities in
India
The Government generally respected the
human rights of its citizens in some areas; however, numerous serious
problems remain, despite extensive constitutional and statutory
safeguards. Significant human rights abuses included: Extrajudicial
killings, including faked encounter killings, deaths of suspects in police
custody throughout the country, and excessive use of force by security
forces combating active insurgencies in Jammu and Kashmir and several
northeastern states; torture and rape by police and other agents of the
Government; poor prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and incommunicado
detention in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast; continued detention
throughout the country of thousands arrested under special security
legislation; lengthy pretrial detention; prolonged detention while
undergoing trial; occasional limits on freedom of the press and freedom of
movement; harassment and arrest of human rights monitors; extensive
societal violence against women; legal and societal discrimination against
women; female bondage and forced prostitution; child prostitution and
infanticide; discrimination against the disabled; serious discrimination
and violence against indigenous people and scheduled castes and tribes;
widespread intercaste and communal violence; societal violence against
Christians and Muslims; widespread exploitation of indentured, bonded, and
child labor; and trafficking in women and children.
Many of these abuses are generated by a traditionally hierarchical social
structure, deeply rooted tensions among the country's many ethnic and
religious communities, violent secessionist movements and the authorities'
attempts to repress them, and deficient police methods and training. These
problems are acute in Jammu and Kashmir, where judicial tolerance of the
Government's heavy-handed counterinsurgency tactics, the refusal of
security forces to obey court orders, and terrorist threats have disrupted
the judicial system. The number of insurgency-related killings in Jammu
and Kashmir and the northeast by regular security forces increased from
the previous year. In the northeast there was no clear decrease in the
number of killings, despite negotiated ceasefires between the Government
and some insurgent forces, and between some tribal groups.
The concerted campaign of execution-style killings of civilians by
Kashmiri militant groups, begun in 1998, continued, and included several
killings of political leaders and party workers. Separatist militants were
responsible for numerous, serious abuses, including killing of armed
forces personnel, police, government officials, and civilians; torture;
rape; and brutality. Separatist militants also were responsible for
kidnaping and extortion in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states.
In July one of the largest Kashmiri militant groups announced a unilateral
ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir and offered to open a dialog with the
Government. The Government responded by instructing its military forces to
reciprocate the ceasefire, accepting the offer of dialog, and beginning
talks. The ceasefire and talks ended abruptly in August when the militants
demanded the start of tripartite talks between themselves, the Government
of India, and the Government of Pakistan. During the same period,
Pakistan-backed militants opposed to the ceasefire attacked and killed
more than 100 civilians, many of them Hindu religious pilgrims, at several
locations in Jammu and Kashmir. On November 26, the Government instituted
its own unilateral suspension of offensive action for the Muslim holy
month of Ramadan in Jammu and Kashmir and offered to initiate dialog with
militant groups that wished to come forward for talks. The Government
extended the ceasefire on December 20, and it remained in force at year's
end. The Government also continued to pursue a dialog with Kashmiri
militant groups, but no formal talks had begun by year's end.’
Excerpts from US
State Dept’s
Human Rights Report for 2000 released on 25 Feb. q
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