India Defends Human Rights Approach as UN Experts Raise Concerns

India’s representative told the United Nations on October 20 that human rights should not be used for political pressure or selective targeting, as more than 20 UN human-rights experts raised concerns about police responses to youth-led protests in New Delhi. Barkha Tamrakar, deputy secretary in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, delivered the statement during a session of the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee addressing the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances. She said India engages with international human-rights mechanisms but that engagement should be guided by dialogue, consultation, cooperation, nonselectivity and transparency. Tamrakar said India was prepared to address specific cases supported by proper documentation through established channels. She objected to turning what she described as unverified allegations, incomplete statistics or a report without country-specific observations into a negative characterization of India. She also urged delegations to cite reports faithfully rather than treating a humanitarian communication as a verdict. The remarks followed a statement by more than 20 UN human-rights experts in Geneva, who said they were alarmed by...