Geneva campaign highlights rights abuses in India

GENEVA: Posters and banners have appeared outside the headquarters of United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) condemning violence against Christians, Dalits and others by Hindutva groups, demanding rights for various groups and at the same time exposing India’s poor human rights record and treatment of its subjugated minorities.

Posters have been placed on trams running across the UNHRC headquarters demanding right to self-determination for Kashmiris. These banners in support of Kashmir’s indigenous movement of independence from India read "Jammu and Kashmir seeks attention’ and ‘Kashmir needs justice’. Banners on trams also call for ‘free indigenous Tripura’ and ‘free Nagaland". Dozens of banners and standees have been placed near the iconic ‘Broken Chair’ reminding the UNHRC that extremist Hindu groups are involved in the burning of churches and attacking Christian missions across India at a wide scale with full support from Narendra Modi’s government.

These posters highlight that Christians are being targeted by Hindutva groups to advance extremist Hindutva cause which aims to establish the supremacy of upper class Hindu caste and its agenda.

The awareness campaign is being run by Christian human rights groups and Dalit advocacy groups who have been campaigning to highlight the prejudice and persecution these face in India on account of their Christian beliefs and the caste, respectively.

These banners read, "India, lower castes need your mercy and attention", "India, do not burn churches", "India, shun religious extremism", "India, please stop using rape as a tool against the weak", "respect religious places of minorities, it’s their basic right", "India, stop female foeticide and spare the girl child", "stop racism"and ‘no to racism".

Banners in support of indigenous people and Dalits read, "indigenous people suffering", "manual scavenging by Dalits in 21st century is a crime", "stop violence against women, ‘India, no to terror attacks on minorities", "India stop violence", "no to children labour", "India, don’t we deserve clean drinking water" and "Dalits equal citizens?".

The banners call on India to revoke AFSPA law terming it "black law against human rights". Earlier, an expensively-funded banner campaign by a group called "Balochistan House" placed dozens of banners and posters across a wide network of Geneva public transport and road network in support of "Free Balochistan", triggering strong protest from Pakistan. The Swiss ambassador to Pakistan was summoned to the Foreign Office where protest was lodged that the anti-Pakistan campaign violated Pakistan’s sovereignty and showed that the Swiss government turned a blind eye to anti-Pakistan activities on its soil. Swiss government has promised to investigate and look into Pakistan’s complaint.