India has a serious problem with human rights breaches that has been discussed for a long time. Human rights violations persist in a variety of ways despite constitutional protections that guarantee fundamental rights to every person. Discrimination, police brutality, deaths in custody, forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other atrocities are examples of these transgressions. Although the Indian government has taken action to solve these problems, much more needs to be done to ensure that all citizens’ human rights are protected.

International attention has been drawn to the subject of human rights violations in India, and pressure on the Indian government to take action is mounting. There has been a major increase in public dialogue on this subject in recent years as a result of organizations and individuals speaking out against these injustices. To ensure that human rights are safeguarded for all individuals, it is essential to comprehend the causes and effects of human rights violations in India and look into potential solutions.

A Brief Overview of Human Rights in India

India is a developing nation with a population of over a billion people. It has a written constitution that guarantees many essential rights, including the right to free speech, the right to life, and the right to personal independence. Despite this, India suffers from a lot of violations of human rights. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Indian government has intensified its crackdown on civil society and the media, which has led to an increase in abuses of fundamental human rights.

India has passed various laws, such as the 1993 Protection of Human Rights Act, to safeguard its citizens’ fundamental human rights. (with Amendment Act, 2006). This Act gives the High Court-level judicial apparatus, State Human Rights Commissions, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) the authority to look into human rights abuses in India. Moreover, it offers legal defense to citizens against arbitrary detention and arrest.

Despite these initiatives and laws, there are still numerous human rights violations occurring in India every day. These violations range from minor ones, like inhumane treatment at police stations, to more serious ones, like extrajudicial executions and fake encounter killings by security forces.

Forms of Human Rights Violations in India

India is a nation with a diversified population that adheres to various cultures, faiths, and ideologies. Nevertheless, despite its vast diversity, India faces several human rights breaches. The following are some of the most typical human rights abuses in India:

• Discrimination: In India, discrimination is frequently practiced based on caste, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and handicap. People from marginalized populations continue to experience discrimination despite constitutional guarantees of equality and non-discrimination in many spheres of life, including employment, education, and access to essential services.
• Violence against Women: Violence against women, such as rape, domestic abuse, and female infanticide, is very common in India. These types of abuse persist despite the passage of numerous laws defending women’s rights, including the 2013 Criminal Law (Amendment) Act and the Protection of Women from Domestic Abuse Act.
• Child Labour: Numerous youngsters in India are compelled to work in hazardous situations even though laws against child labor exist. Child labor is common in some sectors, including manufacturing, construction, and agriculture. Children who are made to labor are denied a childhood, an education, and other developmental chances.

• Forced Labor: In numerous Indian industries, including construction, agriculture, and household labor, forced labor is common. People who are made to labor under duress frequently come from underprivileged backgrounds and endure abusive working circumstances.
• Extrajudicial Killings: Extrajudicial killings—deaths committed by law enforcement or other security personnel without a courtroom hearing—are a major problem in India. The victims of these crimes typically come from underrepresented communities, and they are frequently committed in the name of upholding law and order or combating terrorism.
• Religious Violence: In recent years, India has had several incidents of religious violence, including riots and mob lynchings. These instances have resulted in fatalities, community uprooting, and long-lasting social and economic effects.
• Freedom of Speech and Expression: The Indian government has been charged with stifling the right to free speech and expression, among other things by limiting internet access and detaining journalists and activists. Concerns about India’s democracy and human rights have arisen as a result of this.
• Discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community: In India, the LGBTQ+ group is subjected to prejudice in a variety of spheres, including work, housing, and healthcare. The LGBT community continues to experience stigma and prejudice from society and the legal system despite the legalization of homosexuality in 2018.

These are but a few instances of human rights abuses that take place in India. The government and civic society must work together to address these problems and safeguard the rights of all citizens.

Caste-based Discrimination and Violence in India

Violence and discrimination based on caste are two of the most common ways that human rights are violated in India. The caste system is a social structure that assigns people to various groups according to where they were born. While those in lower castes experience prejudice and exclusion from many facets of society, those in higher castes have more social, economic, and political influence.

Caste-based discrimination is still a major problem in India despite laws and constitutional protections against it. People of lower castes frequently experience abuse and violence, as well as being denied access to chances for jobs, healthcare, and education. Caste-based discrimination overlaps with other types of prejudice, such as gender and religion, worsening the issue.

In India, violence towards people of lower castes is a severe problem. Dalits, commonly referred to as “untouchables,” are particularly susceptible to abuse on all fronts, including physical and sexual assault. Violence against Dalits frequently goes undetected, and those responsible are frequently never punished. Even while the Indian government has taken initiatives to eliminate caste-based violence and prejudice, there is still a long way to go until there is complete justice and equality for all.

Abuse of the Rights of Minorities in India

The Indian government has been charged with violating the country’s religious minorities’ human rights. The Indian government’s discriminatory and ruthless treatment of religious minorities is the most blatant illustration of this infringement.

Terrorists have also engaged in major human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeastern states, and regions afflicted by Maoist terrorism, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and incarceration without charge or trial. International human rights organizations have documented these violations.

Since India abolished Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status in August 2019, the situation has gotten worse. Since then, the Indian government has dramatically increased violence against minorities that has a religious motivation. Reports of hundreds of instances of racial violence, including lynchings of Muslims across India by Hindu mobs, have surfaced just in 2020.

These violations expose the Indian government’s blatant disregard for human rights; these intolerable actions must be addressed right away if true advancement in India’s protection of human rights is to be accomplished.

Human Rights Organizations in India

In India, there are numerous organizations devoted to defending and advancing human rights. These groups are dedicated to drawing attention to violations of human rights and holding those guilty accountable. Here are a few prominent human rights groups in India:

• Amnesty International India: A branch of the international human rights group Amnesty International is located in India. Since 1966, the group has worked to advance human rights and increase public awareness of violations of those rights in India.
• Human Rights Watch: A non-profit organization called Human Rights Watch is committed to defending and advancing human rights all around the world. The group keeps an eye out for violations of human rights in India from its headquarters there.
• People’s Watch: Human rights group People’s Watch is established in Tamil Nadu and focuses on keeping track of and recording violations of human rights in India. For more than 20 years, the organization has worked to highlight violations of human rights and defend the rights of underrepresented people in India.

• Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative: A non-profit organization called the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative seeks to advance democracy and human rights in Commonwealth nations, including India. The group supports the establishment of legal and institutional frameworks for human rights in India.
• National Human Rights Commission: To safeguard and advance human rights in India, the government created the National Human Rights Commission, an independent statutory organization. The commission looks at reports of human rights abuses and makes recommendations for solutions to stop and handle these abuses.

These groups are essential to India’s efforts to safeguard and advance human rights. They give people and communities crucial channels to pursue justice and hold those who violate human rights accountable.

Unmasking the Reality of Human Rights Abuses in India

In India, discriminatory practices and acts of violence against minority communities have made human rights violations a continuing problem. The truth about human rights abuses in India must be exposed, from extrajudicial killings to torture and brutal treatment by police and jail staff.

Hindu mobs attacked more than 200 persons in the southern state of Karnataka in 2021 alone, killing dozens of them, and destroying hundreds of homes in the process. This episode was part of a growing pattern of religious violence that radical Hindu groups have been promoting. These groups frequently target minority communities including Christians, Muslims, and Dalits, a historically marginalized group in Indian society.

Due to the caste-based system that still oppresses Dalits, they are particularly susceptible to violations of human rights. Daily, they confront horrific forms of violence, including mob lynchings, and are denied access to basic rights like education, economic prospects, and other rights.

International organizations and governments must take immediate action in response to India’s catastrophic human rights situation. We must all work to expose the truth about India’s violations of human rights so that issues can be resolved for those who are impacted by injustice. We must not lose sight of the courageous people who continue to struggle for justice.

Steps Towards Safeguarding Human Rights in India

India has made some efforts to uphold human rights, but more must be done. The Indian government and people should adopt several actions to adequately protect and uphold human rights.

• Ratifying International Treaties

• • The Indian government must ratify human rights treaties such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). Ratifying these conventions will hold India accountable for respecting its citizens’ human rights.

• Donations and Volunteering

• • Individuals can help by donating to or volunteering for worldwide organizations that work to safeguard and uphold human rights in India. These groups are frequently well-equipped with resources that can assist victims of human rights violations in India.

• Community Involvement
• India’s people must band together and try to eliminate all types of discrimination within their communities. This can be accomplished by organizing awareness campaigns, speaking out against injustice, and advocating for people who are unable to speak for themselves. People should also begin to hold their governments accountable if they fail to meet their legal commitments in terms of human rights.

Human rights breaches in India are a severe and growing concern, with a variety of various forms of abuse occurring throughout the country. Discrimination and violence based on caste are widespread, with minority groups and those on the lowest end of the economic spectrum particularly vulnerable. Human rights organizations in India must continue to monitor and combat the issue, and governments throughout the world must confront human rights violations in India if genuine change is to be accomplished.