Reema Shaukat
AMNESTY International is a global movement of more than seven million people who injustice personally. People at Amnesty, claim we are campaigning for a world where all should enjoy human rights are enjoyed by all. It is funded by members and people who want to make contribution in any form and they are independent of any political ideology, economic interest or religion. Amnesty believes ‘no government is beyond scrutiny and no situation is beyond hope’. Amnesty International says that through their detailed research and determined campaigning, they help fight abuses of human rights worldwide. They say, “We bring torturers to justice, change oppressive laws and free people jailed just for voicing their opinion”. Amnesty International documents and campaigns against violations of international law during armed conflicts, regardless of who the perpetrator is or where the abuse occurs. It also works in the domain of arms control, detention, climate change, disappearances, discrimination, refugees, migrants and numerous other issues which exist globally. Amnesty International, as an independent body not only raises concerns but try to bring relevant authorities on board to find out peaceful solutions to problems. As Amnesty International works globally so the outreach in millions. Amnesty International has always remained vocal about Indian atrocities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. Watchdogs like Amnesty International have always raised voice against Indian brutalities.
Recently, Amnesty International has stopped its operations in India by saying that they are facing continuous crackdown and harassment by Modi government in India. The human rights watchdog said the bank account of its India branch has been frozen by the right-wing government, forcing it to lay off staff and stop campaign and research work in India. Amnesty also accused the government of running an “incessant witch hunt” campaign against human rights organisations over “unfounded and motivated” allegations. Amnesty said it had been targeted by the enforcement directorate, which investigates financial crimes and the group’s accounts were frozen on 10 September 2020, although it has been dealing with investigation from the directorate since 2018 and they were trying to crackdown organization over allegations of financial wrongdoing. Further the officials from Amnesty quoted that “the continuing crackdown on Amnesty International India over the last two years and the complete freezing of bank accounts is not accidental. The constant harassment by government agencies including the Enforcement Directorate is a result of our unequivocal calls for transparency in the government, more recently for accountability of the Delhi police and the Government of India regarding the grave human rights violations in Delhi riots and Jammu & Kashmir. For an organization and movement that has done nothing but raises its voice against injustice, this latest attack is akin to freezing dissent.” It must be noted that Amnesty and other groups have accused police of complicity in the riots in Delhi in which at least 50 people were killed, most of them Muslims, however Police have denied the allegation and no stance from Indian government was given on it.
Off and on Modi government is facing criticism within Indian circles after the citizenship act bill and other amendments in law about illegally occupied Kashmir. Sane voices in India are quite loud about the discriminations happening within Indian society. Critics also say the government is pushing a Hindu-first agenda, undermining the secular foundations of India’s democracy and raising fears among its 170 million Muslim minority. However, government always denies facts and claim of having non-biased government. One of activists mentioned it as Indian government’s deliberate attempt to suppress an international human rights organization saying it’s a direct attempt by the Indian government to tell international human rights group that if you document rights violations by the Indian state we won’t let you continue function in India. This raises a big question which the world needs to wake up and recognise that India is no longer a functioning democracy and see what is happening in India to rights defenders, many of whom are in jail under draconian laws or punished in a way by state that in future no one raised voice against them.
Shashi Tharoor, an Indian politician and diplomat took the twitter account to share by saying;” India’s stature as a liberal democracy with free institutions, including media and civil society organisations, accounted for much of its soft power in the world. Actions like this both undermine our reputation as a democracy and vitiate our soft power”. Amnesty International has support of those Indians, who know their state is doing wrong by creating air of mistrust among citizens. Amnesty on 5th of August, after completion of one year of revoking of special status for Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, called for the release of all political leaders, activists and journalists and restoration of communication facilities of Jammu & Kashmir. Amnesty International and other human rights watchdogs have openly criticised Modi and its hard-core policies not only against Muslims but other minorities living in India. This is the reason, watchdog is facing charges for asking freedom of speech, human rights protection and human security in India. However, country must ensure protection of rights of all otherwise voices of people can’t be crushed nor the coercive policies by state can continue longer.
— The writer works for Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, a think-tank based in Islamabad.
