Kashmir Impulse Desk
United Nations, Oct 17
India has rejected a report by a United Nations human rights expert that said young people in the country faced retaliation or stigma for discussing mental health and gender justice, describing the allegations as unverified.
Anuj Swarup, first secretary at India’s permanent mission to the United Nations, challenged the findings during an interactive dialogue with Gina Romero, the UN special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, at the General Assembly’s Third Committee.
Swarup said the report relied on anonymous submissions and questioned the basis for extending the claims to India’s youth population.
“A sweeping charge against the world’s largest youth population, resting on anonymous and unverified claims, is not evidence,” he said, urging the rapporteur to verify information before concluding.
Romero’s report referred to a satirical political movement formed by young Indians, identified in the report as the Cockroach Janata Party. It also said young people from India had reported retaliation or stigmatisation for discussing mental health and gender justice.
Swarup said freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and association were guaranteed under Article 19 of India’s Constitution and protected by the judiciary, the press and the National Human Rights Commission.
He also cited the participation of young people in political protests and government engagement with students who demonstrated over alleged irregularities in public examinations.
The Indian delegation said the report’s approach risked undermining the credibility of UN institutions.
