UN Raises Concern Over Crackdown on Students in India

Independent UN experts have voiced deep concern over recent police crackdowns and rights violations against peaceful student protests and civic movements in New Delhi and other parts of India. These protests have gone on for the past three months. The experts strongly condemned the excessive use of force by law enforcement and the rights violations that followed.

In a press release, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said thousands of students and ordinary people were protesting peacefully. They were against several government decisions in the education system. They were also against the removal of about 13 crore people, mainly from Muslim minority, Dalit and Adivasi communities, from voter lists. The police used force, including baton charges, even on these nonviolent gatherings. They also stopped thousands of protesters from joining.

According to the experts, more than 7,500 young people, journalists, rights activists, lawyers and political party workers were recently detained in New Delhi without proper cause. There are also claims that they were taken to detention centers in remote areas, where their mobile phones were seized and protest related data was deleted. The experts also raised concern over claims of sexual abuse and gender based violence against women and girls.

The UN experts said authorities are using Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to ban public gatherings. They said communication and internet shutdowns and digital surveillance are also being carried out. In their view, these actions are a serious breach of international human rights law. The experts demanded that the use of excess force stop at once, that the ban on public gatherings be lifted, and that an impartial and independent inquiry be held into the role of law enforcement.