The US State Department’s annual human rights assessment revealed “significant” abuses in India’s northeastern Manipur state last year, alongside attacks on minorities, journalists, and dissenting voices across the country.
Manipur witnessed intense conflict between its tribal Kuki-Zo and the majority Meitei populations following a court order suggesting the extension of minority privileges to the Meitei community, resulting in over 200 casualties. The report highlighted that more than 60,000 individuals were displaced between May and November in Manipur.
While there was no immediate response from the Indian embassy in Washington regarding the report, the assessment highlighted numerous instances in the rest of India where the government and its allies allegedly pressured or harassed media outlets critical of the government. For instance, the Income Tax Department conducted a search of the BBC’s offices after the release of a critical documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, although the Indian government maintained that the search was not retaliatory.
India’s press freedom index ranking hit an all-time low at 161 out of 180 countries in 2023, according to Reporters Without Borders. The assessment also noted reports of discrimination against religious minorities in India, including incitement to violence and the dissemination of false information.
Despite allegations of human rights abuses, Prime Minister Modi, who is expected to secure a third term in the ongoing elections until June 1, denies mistreatment of minorities and asserts that his policies are inclusive and beneficial to all Indians.
However, human rights groups argue that the climate has worsened under Modi’s leadership, citing an increase in hate speech, the abrogation of Indian-occupied Kashmir’s special status, a controversial citizenship law labeled “fundamentally discriminatory” by the UN, and the demolition of Muslim properties under the guise of removing illegal constructions.
While the US report echoes previous years’ concerns, analysts suggest that Washington exercises restraint in its public criticism of New Delhi due to hopes that India will serve as a counterbalance to China’s expansionist ambitions.