A UN monitoring committee has criticized India, urging the country to enhance protection for tribal peoples and marginalized groups against extrajudicial killings, torture, and other violence perpetrated by law enforcement agencies.
In a report released on Tuesday (April 15), the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) also stressed that the world's most populous nation must urgently address hate crimes targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims.
CERD said it is “gravely concerned” about reports of widespread violations by law enforcement against ethnic, religious, and indigenous groups, including constitutionally recognized tribes, lower castes—particularly Dalits—and non-citizens. These violations include racially motivated violence, excessive use of force, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary and prolonged detention without trial, torture, ill-treatment, and sexual violence.
The committee called on India to investigate all such allegations and bring those responsible to justice. The report also noted that caste remains a determining factor of social status in India, affecting individuals' access to resources, education, and opportunities.
Significantly, CERD observed an increase in law enforcement actions targeting Rohingya, Bengali-speaking Muslims, migrants, and asylum seekers. Police stops and identity checks based on racial profiling are said to result in arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, torture, and ill-treatment. The committee also expressed concern over deportations and forced returns of individuals in need of international protection.
CERD is a body of 18 independent human rights experts tasked with monitoring the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by 182 member states. The convention, in force since 1969, requires countries to eliminate racial discrimination, eradicate discriminatory practices, and ensure equality before the law.
India sent a delegation led by Attorney General Tushar Mehta to the CERD review session earlier this month, its first since 2007. Although CERD's recommendations are legally non-binding, they carry significant reputational weight for the countries concerned.
In a statement, India's mission to the UN said it had “emphasized the pluralism, diversity, scale, and complexity, along with the constitutional and legal framework with protective mechanisms” in its efforts to ensure equality, dignity, and opportunity for all citizens.
