more-inAmnesty International’s State of the World’s Human Rights Report 2016-17 has expressed concern over a range of human rights violations in India. The report, being released worldwide on Wednesday, slammed the use of legislation such as the Foreign Currency (Regulation) Act (FCRA) and the sedition law to silence government critics and crack down on civil society organisations. It noted, in particular, the suspension of the FCRA registration of Lawyers Collective, and the government’s refusal to renew the FCRA licences of 25 NGOs “without offering valid reasons,” which constitute a violation of the right to freedom of association. Speaking of India’s record, Amnesty International said, “Human rights activists and journalists faced intimidation and attacks from both state and non-state actors.”The report pointed to the deaths of journalists Karun Mishra and Rajdeo Ranjan. In a sub-section on India titled ‘Caste-based discrimination and violence’, the report noted that “Dalits and Adivasis continued to face widespread abuses”.

Source: The Hindu February 21, 2017 21:21 UTC