HRW blasts India over human rights

NEW YORK—The U.N. Human Rights Council should ensure that Indian government takes strong steps to hold accountable members of its security forces responsible for torture, arbitrary detentions, killings, and disappearances, a right watchdog body said on Monday.
The UNHRC should also demand that New Delhi fulfills its responsibility to protect and support vulnerable communities, including Dalits, tribal groups,
religious minorities, and wom n, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. India’s human rights record will come under the first-ever Universal Periodic Review (UPR) when the UNHRC meets in Geneva on April 10. “India is a vibrant electoral democracy with an abysmal human rights record,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Victims of abuse in India are counting on the Human Rights Council to put maximum pressure on the government to address these problems.” In its submission to the UPR, India said it had adopted various measures for the protection of human rights, including training of government officials, armed forces, prison officials and legal officers.—Agencies