The United Nations human rights commission in its recent report left out India as a country involved in violation of human rights. This stand is preposterous. Violation of human rights of Sikhs and Muslims by the Indian state is no longer a debatable point, Amnesty International and other international human rights groups have been producing, Year after year, factual and well documented reports on the practices of the Indian state in Punjab and Kashmir, This despite the fact that India has not been permitting entry to A.I and other groups to western media from time and the allegation against the Indian state. The western media from time to time has been projecting specific cases of Parliamentarians from Europe managed to visit India who have firsthand knowledge of the state of affairs. Almost a majority of the U.S senate and Congress members are convinced about the violations in India despite a campaign of disinformation organized by Delhi, Even the U.S.S. Administration in its official reports until recently indicted India.
But there has been a sudden and dramatic change. Not of course, in the Indian practices but in the attitude of certain western countries towards India. This is largely attributable to recession in the US.A. the U.K. and other countries and the need for these countries to look to India to provide industries an opening so that they are bailed out of distress. Indias readiness o part company with Moscow in the wake of the disintegration of the Soviet Union and switch loyalty to the west have such to do with the changed outlook. In other words, he U.S.A., the U.K., Canada and other countries have thrown their weight behind the U.N. rights commission to leave India alone in its handling of Sikhs and Muslims. An important consideration behind the western thinking may have been the need for doing nothing to “weaken” the UN. (by including India and China in the lst of countries maltreating their minorities). Thus in reality, is betrayal of the U.N. charter. This world forum came into being precisely on the central issue of human rights so blatantly violated by Hitler and other fascist forces leading to the second world war. If the U.S.A. and other western countries ignore violation of human rights by India merely to sub serve their narrow financial interests, they cannot uphold the valves of freedom enshrined in their own constitutions also, The western attitude signals a general decline of human rights concerns. These countries on their own or through the U.N. will lose moral authority 10 question the rights violations elsewhere to0. Thus, in substance, the worldwide movement for human rights and civility will receive a major setback. Big countries will get away with all state sponsored crimes while reserving their lectures on human rights for small, tiny countries. I that what the world public opinion had bargained for when the UN was set up. It is for the public opinion with in U.S.A. and other countries as well as their administrations to decide whether they have to uphold certain value systems or earn dollars. The choice at this stage is limited.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 20, 1992
