India on Monday strongly rebuked UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk for his remarks on Kashmir and Manipur, calling them “unfounded and baseless.” The sharp response came after Turk, in his global update at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, raised concerns over violence and displacement in Manipur and alleged restrictions on journalists and activists in Kashmir.
India’s permanent representative to the UN, Arindam Bagchi, rejected Turk’s observations, saying that they were detached from reality and ignored the democratic resilience of the country. “It is regrettable that the High Commissioner continues to make groundless comments on matters that are purely internal to India,” Bagchi said. He criticized the selective approach of the UN human rights office and accused it of cherry-picking issues while ignoring India’s democratic credentials.
On Jammu and Kashmir state, Bagchi emphasized that the region — referred to as “Kashmir” in the global update — had witnessed record voter turnout, booming tourism, and rapid economic growth. He argued that these were clear indicators of peace and progress. He also took issue with the loose terminology used in the UN report, calling it misleading and lacking a factual basis.
Addressing the situation in Manipur, the Indian envoy noted that the government had taken decisive steps to restore normalcy in the violence-hit state. He dismissed Turk’s concerns as oversimplifications of complex issues and reiterated that India’s constitutional framework ensures the protection of all communities.
India also pointed out the selective nature of the UN’s global update, which covered conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Afghanistan, and the United States but omitted Pakistan. Bagchi remarked that it is ironic that some of our region’s most serious human rights violations are not mentioned in these reports.
New Delhi urged the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to “take a long, hard look in the mirror” before commenting on India’s internal affairs. It reiterated that India is a vibrant, pluralistic democracy where human rights, freedom of expression, and diversity thrive.
Amnesty International urged Indian authorities in February to take immediate steps to end ongoing ethnic violence and ensure human rights protections in the conflict-torn northeastern state of Manipur. The statement follows the resignation of N. Biren Singh as chief minister of Manipur. In November 2024, Human Rights Watch called on the Indian government to release a Kashmiri human rights defender who has been in custody for what many consider to be politically motivated terrorism charges.
