India has failed to respect, protect and promote human rights of its
citizens, said the national bishop's conference's Commission for
Justice, Peace and Development on Tuesday when UN Human Rights Day was
celebrated.The message signed by commission secretary Father Charles Irudayam recalled many cases where basic rights were trampled on in recent years.
This included the Bhopal tragedy in 1984, the pogroms based on caste or religion and the impunity for perpetrators of the pogroms in Gujarat, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, under whose watch massive anti-Muslim riots took place in 2002 has been declared the Prime Ministerial candidate of the extreme right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been tipped by political analysts to win next year’s national elections.
Modi’s party is also accused of anti-Christian riots in Odisha’s Kandhamal and for fanning recent riots in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffar Nagar between Hindu Jats and Muslims.
“The Indian situation shows widespread and flagrant violations of the rights that adversely affect the lives and the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable groups,” the Commission said.
“The state has chosen to sacrifice the rights of its citizens on the altar of development. There are mass displacements of tribals for mining activities or construction of power, thermal or nuclear power plants to the detriment of the living conditions of the fishermen or farmers. The failure of the state is evident in the failure to protect women and children from abuse and sexual violence, despite the laws."
The Indian Bishops said its commitment to the poor, marginalised and oppressed has been, “Reiterated by Pope Francis in his recent Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium: ‘Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society.”