India has rejected a UN report claiming young people face stigma or retaliation for discussing mental health and gender justiceAt the UNGA, Indian diplomat Anuj Swarup questioned the evidence behind the allegations and urged to ensure greater accuracy and fairness in reporting.
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‘Hearsay dressed as report’: India hits back at UN report on youth rights, says allegations lack verifiable evidence
India has rejected claims by United Nations Special Rapporteur Gina Romero that young people in the country face retaliation or stigma for speaking about mental health and gender justiceNew Delhi questioned the evidence behind the allegations, saying they were based on anonymous and unverified submissions.
India’s response was delivered by First Secretary Anuj Swarup during an interactive dialogue at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly’s Third Committee.
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Speaking on behalf of India, Swarup said the country’s Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression, peaceful assembly and association to every citizen under Article 19He also pointed to the role of the judiciary, the press and the National Human Rights Commission in protecting these rights.
“Madam Chair, India takes note of the report of the special rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and associationIn India, these freedoms, together with freedom of speech and expression, are guaranteed to every citizen under Article 19 of our Constitution, and are protected by an independent judiciary, a free press, and an empowered National Human Rights Commission,” Swarup said.
Swarup criticised Romero’s report for making broad claims about young people without providing publicly verifiable evidence to support them.
He said allegations based on unnamed submissions should not be treated as established facts and urged the Special Rapporteur to follow stronger standards of verification and fairness in her reports.
India’s remarks came amid protests by young people in the country over issues including the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
India cites youth political participation
Swarup also questioned the report’s assessment of the space available to young people in India to express their views and take part in public lifeHe referred to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical political movement formed by young people, whose members took part in protests in Delhi and later held talks with senior government leaders.
Swarup argued that the movement showed how young people could question the government, organise demonstrations and engage with political leaders.
“Ironically, the same report notes that young Indians created a satirical political movementIn which repressive state does a satirical youth party question the government, marches on the capital, and then sits across the table with senior national leaders?” Swarup said according to news agency ANI.
He also referred to remarks by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who had highlighted the importance of dialogue with young leaders in the context of youth-led movements in India.
According to Swarup, such examples should also be considered when assessing the freedom available to young people in the country.
India highlights youth role in nation-building
The Indian diplomat also highlighted the role of young people in the country’s developmentHe cited the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, which, according to him, brought together more than five million young people to discuss national priorities and contribute ideas.
India said youth participation in public discussions and national initiatives was an important part of the country’s development processSwarup urged Romero to verify the information used in her report before drawing wider conclusions about the situation in India.
He said reports issued by UN mandate holders should be based on reliable evidence and follow fair reporting standards.
“Yet, the special rapporteur, Ms Gina Romero, asserts that young people in India face retaliation or stigmatisation for discussing mental health or gender justice, though merely citing unnamed submissions in the footnoteThis level of arbitrary report writing is precisely the reason that the United Nations and its institutions have lost credibilityA sweeping charge against the world’s largest youth population resting on anonymous and unverified claims is not evidenceIt is hearsay, dressed up as a UN report, and my delegation rejects it outright,” he said.
What is the UN special rapporteur’s role?
A UN Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council to examine specific human rights issuesThese experts study concerns, gather information and make recommendations to governments and other organisations.
Gina Romero is the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of associationHer work includes examining whether people can gather peacefully, form groups and take part in public activities without facing unlawful restrictions.
