A US human rights report on India highlights media and minority harassment, as well as atrocities in Manipur

According to the US State Department’s annual human rights assessment, there were “significant” violations in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur last year, and attacks on journalists, minorities, and opposing voices were reported throughout the rest of the nation.

The Meitei majority and the Kuki-Zo tribe in Manipur have been engaged in violent clashes since a court ruling a year ago that recommended the Kuki minority privileges be extended to the Meitei. There have been almost 200 fatalities.

Over 60,000 people were displaced in Manipur between May and November, according to a State Department report.The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegation.

The government and its supporters “allegedly pressured or harassed media outlets critical of the government” in “numerous instances” throughout the remainder of India, according to the State Department.

For instance, in early 2023, the BBC aired a documentary that was critical of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, prompting the Income Tax Department to examine the organization’s premises. At the time, the Indian government said the search wasn’t motivated by retaliation.

India’s lowest-ever ranking was 161 out of 180 nations on Reporters Without Borders’ press freedom index in 2023.

Religious minorities in India experienced harassment, including calls for violence and the dissemination of false information, according to the US study.

In an election that ends on June 1, Modi, who is expected to win a record-tying third term, asserts that his policies are meant to help all Indians and refutes claims that he has abused minorities.

Human rights organizations claim that under Modi, the situation has gotten worse. The United Nations refers to the citizenship rule that was repealed for the Muslim-majority region of Kashmir as “fundamentally discriminatory,” and they cite an increase in hate speech and the demolition of Muslim-owned homes under the pretext of eradicating unlawful construction.

Although the US report addressed issues that have come up recently, political observers said Washington is being circumspect in its public criticism of New Delhi because it believes India would act as a check on China’s aggressive advance.