U.N. committee expresses “grave concern” over rights violations against SCs, STs, Rohingya refugees

The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD) has said it is “gravely concerned” about reports of human rights violations against a vast segment of people in India, including scheduled tribes, scheduled castes, Dalits and Rohingya refugees.

In a press note that called for urgent action to address “hate speech” and “hate crime” in India, the committee said there had been an increase in incidents targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims and called on the Government of India to “ensure accountability” for these violations.

“The committee was gravely concerned about reports of large-scale violations perpetrated by law enforcement officials against ethnic and ethno-religious groups, indigenous and tribal people, including Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, particularly Dalits, and non-citizens,” it said.

The panel said these communities had been subjected to “racially motivated violence, excessive use of force, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary and prolonged detention without due process, torture, ill-treatment and sexual violence”.