Intensifying Global Scrutiny Of India’s Systemic Human Rights Abuses – OpEd – Eurasia Review

At the 60th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, India came under renewed international scrutiny over its deteriorating human rights record, with particular attention drawn to systematic abuses in Tamil Nadu and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The session featured powerful civil society interventions and symbolic public demonstrations, underscoring the growing divergence between India’s democratic self-image and its increasingly authoritarian domestic policies.

One of the most significant interventions came from the NGO Society for Development and Community Empowerment, which presented a comprehensive account of state-sponsored violence in Tamil Nadu. The organization reported the systematic targeting and killing of hundreds of social, environmental, and legal activists under the administration of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government. These acts, allegedly executed with impunity, reveal a disturbing pattern of repression aimed at dismantling civic resistance and silencing critical voices.

Tamil Nadu, historically known for its progressive social movements, anti-caste activism, and the Dravidian political ethos, has long been a bastion of resistance against majoritarian homogenization. Figures such as Periyar E.V. Ramasamy laid the ideological foundation for a culture of dissent rooted in social justice and rationalism. However, recent years have witnessed a dramatic regression. Surveillance, arbitrary detention, and extrajudicial violence are becoming normalized tools to suppress opposition—particularly when grassroots movements challenge powerful political or corporate interests.

Lawyers representing marginalized communities or environmental causes have also come under attack, revealing a deepening crisis in judicial independence and access to legal redress. This pattern reflects a broader national trend where human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society actors operate under increasing pressure, with intimidation and legal harassment becoming common instruments of control.

The Kashmiri diaspora in Europe organized a Tent Exposition and Poster Displays at Geneva’s iconic Broken Chair monument. These displays vividly documented the entrenched human rights abuses in IIOJK, highlighting cases of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, communication blackouts, and mass detentions. The exhibits also contextualized these violations within the broader historical struggle of the Kashmiri people for self-determination—a struggle that has persisted for over seven decades.

The situation in IIOJK has significantly worsened since India’s unilateral abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. This constitutional move, executed without local consultation, stripped the region of its special autonomy and federal protections. It also violated the spirit of India’s Constitution and defied multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, which recognize Kashmir as a disputed territory requiring a political solution.

Since the abrogation, the region has witnessed an unprecedented level of militarization and bureaucratic control. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights have repeatedly condemned India’s actions in Kashmir, including the use of pellet guns on civilians, mass incarcerations under draconian laws like the Public Safety Act (PSA), and the ongoing denial of press freedoms.

What marks this new phase in Kashmir is not just repression but the systematic normalization of occupation through legal and demographic engineering. These developments contravene international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits altering the demographic composition of an occupied territory.

The simultaneous focus on Tamil Nadu and IIOJK at the UNHRC reflects a broader crisis within India’s domestic human rights architecture. Despite its constitutional guarantees and international obligations, India has increasingly adopted a model of governance where dissent is criminalized, and rights are selectively granted. These developments are part of a growing authoritarian shift, where the rule of law is subverted by the political calculus of power retention.

The convergence of voices at the 60th UNHRC session—whether from NGOs, activists, or diaspora communities—demonstrates that global civil society is no longer willing to overlook India’s transgressions. As India continues to lobby for greater influence on international platforms, including its long-standing bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council, these revelations should act as a sobering counterpoint to its diplomatic ambitions.

The implications of these violations go beyond regional concerns. They raise profound questions about the global community’s commitment to upholding human rights universally, and not selectively. India’s democratic backsliding must be addressed not only through statements of concern but through coordinated international pressure, including independent investigations, the imposition of human rights sanctions, and the inclusion of India’s record in global human rights assessments.

The 60th Session of the UNHRC served as a pivotal moment in spotlighting India’s deepening human rights crisis in Tamil Nadu and IIOJK. It is now imperative for the international community to move beyond mere condemnation and adopt concrete measures for accountability. The world must stand in solidarity with those fighting for justice—so that the voices of the silenced in Tamil Nadu and the oppressed in Kashmir are neither forgotten nor sacrificed at the altar of geopolitical expediency.