THE 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has highlighted a reality New Delhi has long attempted to obscure—the systemic and widespread human rights abuses taking place across India. From Tamil Nadu to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), credible voices have brought forward chilling evidence of repression, targeted killings, and suppression of dissent. These revelations demand urgent international scrutiny, as they expose a pattern of state complicity and impunity that has no place in a country claiming democratic credentials.
The most startling intervention came from the Society for Development and Community Empowerment, an NGO that delivered an oral statement directly at the UNHRC floor. The group laid bare the horrific killings of hundreds of social activists, environmental defenders, and lawyers in Tamil Nadu under the governance of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. This was not an isolated narrative of abuse but rather an account of systemic targeting of individuals who dared to raise their voices against entrenched power structures, environmental degradation, or political corruption. What makes these revelations even more disturbing is the culture of impunity surrounding them. Killings of activists and lawyers are not sporadic acts of violence; they are part of an entrenched system that discourages dissent and makes examples of those who refuse to conform. The absence of justice for victims and their families reveals the failure of the Indian state to safeguard the most basic of human rights—the right to life and liberty.
Parallel to this, the Kashmiri Diaspora in Europe organized a striking Tent Exposition and Poster Display at the iconic Broken Chair in Geneva. This visual and symbolic protest spotlighted the continuing ordeal of Kashmiris under Indian occupation. With haunting images and stark documentation, the exposition reminded the world that the situation in IIOJK remains one of the gravest humanitarian crises of our time. The Kashmiri people have endured decades of military occupation, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and collective punishments—all in defiance of international law and countless UN resolutions.
The choice of Broken Chair as the venue was particularly apt. A global symbol of resistance against war and oppression, it conveyed the resilience of the Kashmiri people and the urgency of their demand for justice. By drawing attention to Kashmir at the very moment when Tamil Nadu’s repression was being exposed inside the UNHRC, the Diaspora successfully placed India’s human rights record under a single damning spotlight.
Together, these interventions expose a deeply troubling pattern: India’s governance structures are increasingly marked by violence, repression, and systematic denial of fundamental rights. Whether in Tamil Nadu or IIOJK, the thread is the same—activists, dissenters, and marginalized communities are silenced through fear, intimidation, and lethal force, while the state apparatus shields perpetrators from accountability.
The international community must no longer allow India’s democratic façade to mask the grim reality within its borders and occupied territories. The UNHRC session has served as a reminder that accountability is not optional—it is a moral and legal imperative. Unless global pressure mounts to hold New Delhi accountable, both activists in Tamil Nadu and the people of Kashmir will continue paying the price for speaking truth to power.
—The writer is regular contributor.
