‘This is why the UN lost credibility’: India tears into rapporteur’s report on alleged youth protests, calls out the charges based on “anonymous, unverified claims” as “hearsay”

India calls out UN rapporteur’s report, says it reflects the UN’s credibility crisis.
First Secretary Anuj Swarup (L). UN Special Rapporteur Gina Romero (R)

India has firmly dismissed allegations by UN Special Rapporteur Gina Romero that young people in the country face retaliation or stigma for speaking about mental health and gender justice. On 17th October (Saturday), Indian diplomat Anuj Swarup delivered a strong rebuttal at the UN. He argued that the claims relied on anonymous and unverified submissions.

In a statement delivered at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)’s Third Committee, during an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, First Secretary Anuj Swarup of India’s Permanent Mission to the UN said India’s Constitution guarantees these freedoms to every citizen.

Swarup said, “This level of arbitrary report writing is precisely the reason that the United Nations and its institutions have lost credibility.” Delivering India’s national statement. “A sweeping charge against the world’s largest youth population resting on anonymous and unverified claims is not evidence. It is hearsay, dressed up as a UN report, and my delegation rejects it outright”.

The dispute centres on Romero’s report, which stated that “young people from India reported retaliation or stigmatisation for discussing mental health or gender justice” and noted the emergence of a “satirical political movement” among Indian youth, a reference to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). India objected that the assertion was footnoted only to unnamed submissions, and that a mandate holder cannot generalise for 1.4 billion people on that basis.

Constitutional safeguards cited

Swarup told the committee that “India takes note of the report of the special rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association. In 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.”

Referring to the Cockroach Janta Party delegation’s dialogue with Union ministers after the July protests, He asked, “In 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?” He also challenged the report’s assessment of civic space, pointing to the same report’s reference to a satirical youth party.

He further pointed to the High Commissioner for Human Rights Volkar Turk’s comment in the Human Rights Council last month that dialogue with young leaders is far more effective in the context of youth-led movement in India. “Perhaps that update escaped the special rapporteur’s attention,” he said.

On the government’s response to student protests over irregularities in public examinations, Swarup said Parliament had amended the Public Examinations Act, doubled punishments for paper leaks, overhauled the examination system and created fast-track courts in every state to prosecute exam fraud.

He also pointed to the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, in which more than five million young people participated this year, and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several ministers continue to engage directly with the youth.

Written by OpIndia Staff
Last modified at