Unfounded, baseless: India slams UN human rights chief's remarks on Manipur, Kashmir

India’s strong retort came after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, in his global update to the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, mentioned India and referred to the situation in Manipur and Kashmir. Pakistan was not mentioned in the update.

United Nations/Geneva: India slammed the “unfounded and baseless” comments made by the UN’s human rights chief, who mentioned Kashmir and Manipur in his global update, with Delhi voicing concern over the update’s generalised remarks and “cherry picking” of situations.

“As India was mentioned by name, let me begin by emphasising that the world's largest democracy continues to be a healthy, vibrant and pluralistic society. Unfounded and baseless comments in the update contrast jarringly with ground realities,” Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva Ambassador Arindam Bagchi said Monday.

India’s strong retort came after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, in his global update to the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, mentioned India and referred to the situation in Manipur and Kashmir.

Bagchi said the people of India have "repeatedly proven wrong such misplaced concerns about us” and “we would urge a better understanding of India and our civilizational ethos of diversity and openness, which continue to define our robust and often cacophonous civic space.”

Bagchi said nothing illustrates this divergence more than the passing reference to Jammu and Kashmir, which Turk "erroneously referred to as Kashmir” in the global update.

The Indian envoy said this is ironic in a year that stood out for that region's improving peace and inclusive progress, be it the large turnout in provincial elections, the booming tourism or the rapid development pace.

Asserting that the global update needs a “genuine update”, Bagchi said “at a larger level, we are concerned about the global update’s oversimplifications of complex issues, sweeping and generalized remarks, usage of loose terminologies and apparent cherry picking of situations.

“The High Commissioner has sensed a pervasive unease, but we would submit that a key element to addressing this is a long and hard look in the mirror by the Office of the High Commissioner,” Bagchi said.

In his global update, the United Nations human rights chief called for “stepped-up” efforts to address violence and displacement in Manipur.

“I also call for stepped-up efforts to address violence and displacement in Manipur, based on dialogue, peacebuilding and human rights," the UN human rights chief said.

He further said that he is “concerned by the use of restrictive laws and harassment against human rights defenders and independent journalists resulting in arbitrary detention and a diminished civic space, including in Kashmir."

“India’s democracy and institutions have been its greatest strength, underpinning its diversity and development. Democracy requires constant nurturing of participation and inclusion at all levels of society,” Turk said.

Turk’s global update, which referred to conflicts and situations ranging from Ukraine, Gaza to Bangladesh, Afghanistan and the US, made no mention of Pakistan.