NEW DELHI: Representatives of Amnesty International reached here early this week to “hold discussions” with Indian authorities on the human rights situation in the country. The team was given a low key treatment by the Hindu media. Hardly any newspaper carried pictures or even news of the arrival of the team. On the other hand Prime Minister Rao enacted another drama by calling a well-publicized meeting of chief ministers on how to change criminal laws to avoid custodial deaths.
The aim of this meeting evidently was to impress the Amnesty representatives with Indian government’s desire that they value human rights and are keen On preventing custodial deaths. At the same time the prime minister sought to project his own helplessness in the matter by showing that law and order in Indias “decentralized” polity was in the jurisdiction of states. Nevertheless India was trying its best to persuade the states to respect human rights. Rao however carefully chose not to mention the Amnesty teams visit to India A section of the Indian media in fact revealed that the invitation to the Amnesty to visit Delhi represented a change in Indian strategy.
Earlier India never acknowledged any criticism by the Amnesty on account of this country’s poor human rights record. On the other hand Delhi condemned and ridiculed the Amnesty as representing the “developed western countries” interference in the “third world countries.” As Sach India kept the Amnesty at an arm’s length all these years. But Indias growing isolation in the world on the human rights issue compelled Delhi to change its stance. It therefore allowed Amnesty to visit India for “discussions.” India even replied case by case to the Amnesty report on custodial deaths But the Indian response is more aimed at projecting a better image of itself than representing any genuine change of heart on the subject. Interestingly Delhi is still not permitting the Amnesty team to visit cither Punjab or Kashmir for an on these pot study of the human rights situation Besides by stepping up killings of Sikhs in Punjab as the Amnesty representatives see their foot on the Indian soil Indian tried to send a clear message to the Amnesty and western countries that it would not brook any comment on Indias handling of the Sikhs. Amnesty in Indias opinion was free to talk of custodial deaths all over the land but was well advised not to make any noise about the deaths of Sikhs or Kashmiris in police custody or otherwise.
Another drama India enacted to impress the Amnesty was when the Indian home ministry announced its plan to start crash courses for police officers district judges and collectors to inculcate in them the value of individual rights. This crash course aims at imbibing in the lower judiciary and police officers the values of human rights.
But observers here dismiss these gestures as mere propaganda plans until India scraps the T.A.D.A. and other black laws under which 30000 prisoners have been languishing for years without any police F.I.R. or court challenge.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 27, 1992
