India one of 5 countries yet to ratify UN convention against torture: Asian NGOs

Counterview Desk
Several Asian advocacy groups have come together to take note of the fact that in India there is no special anti-torture laws “which can bind the arms of the perpetrators.” Their statement says, “The persistence of inhuman treatment by the police and state officials makes it apparent that India is determined to protect violence by the police”.
The statement regrets, their statement regrets, “India is one of the remaining five countries that has yet to ratify the 1987 United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT).”
It has been signed by Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM); Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-Asia); Asian Alliance Against Torture (A3T); Bytes for All, Pakistan (B4A); Right to Life, Human Rights Centre, Sri Lanka; and Families of the Disappeared, Sri Lanka.

Text:

On 26th June 2023, we commemorated the 25th International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. On this occasion we want to draw the attention of the global citizens to the exceptionally grim picture of torture in India and call for effective programs to counter the situation.
As early as 1981, the Supreme Court of India has said “…nothing is more cowardly and unconscionable than a person in police custody being beaten up and nothing inflicts deeper wound on our constitutional culture than a state official running berserk regardless of human rights” [Kishore Singh V. State of Rajasthan (AIR 1981 SC 625)].
As early as 1997, the UN Human Rights Committee has expressed its concern about the widespread use of torture by the law enforcement agencies in India. (CCPR/C/79/Add.81). Similar concerns were expressed by the Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD/C/IND/CO/19) in 2007 and the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (E/C.12/IND/CO/5) in 2008.
In the book of criminal laws in India, ‘torture’ is not defined anywhere. In India there is no special anti-torture laws which can bind the arms of the perpetrators. The persistence of inhuman treatment by the police and state officials makes it apparent that India is determined to protect violence by the police. India is one of the remaining five countries that has yet to ratify the 1987 United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT).
On this very day in the year of 1987, the UNCAT was introduced with the goal of the eradication of this inhuman act. Data say that this atrocious act is still very much prevalent in India. According to NCRB report in 2021, there were six cases of custodial death due to torture of police in the custody. It is needless to say that this government data do not reflect the true picture. Apart from that, only the torture happening in custody can be documented.
In India we can find instances of torture outside the custody, too. In India, apart from torture, extra judicial execution, rape, violence against Muslims, Dalits and other marginalized sections are also very much prevalent. These are very much interlinked with the phenomena of torture. As stated by minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr. Nityananda Rai, there were 655 cases of extra-judicial executions in India between 2017 and 2022.
It is noteworthy that the country has about 178 Human Rights Institutions. But, we have noticed that most of them are almost inactive when it comes to actively fighting for the justice of the victims. And it is also to be noted that, in many cases, bureaucrats and persons with records of erstwhile perpetration of human rights violations are heading these institutions.

Between October 2018 and May 2023, MASUM has documented a total of 116 cases of torture by state forces. We have to note that this record only reflects the situation in four Indo-Bangladesh border districts in West Bengal. Thus, we can safely assume that the country-wide picture will be grimmer than the official record. Besides, during the medico-legal investigation of cases of torture, the Istanbul protocol, Minnesota Protocol and other international instruments are not followed.

The cause of a deeper concern is that the government forces are committing these atrocities with a blanket of impunity due to the ‘sanction regime.’ Looking at this grim picture, we must reiterate a few demands on this anti-torture day:

The UNCAT must be ratified by the government of India with immediate effect. Domestic legislation to counter torture must be introduced in India with immediate effect.
As a deterrent, the government forces must be trained and sensitized accordingly in order to stop the use of torture.
The medico-legal experts must be trained about the Istanbul Protocol, the Minnesota Protocol and other international instruments that deal with the cases effectively.
The systematic impunity must be stopped at once and the perpetrators of torture should be brought under justice in the open court of law.

On the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, in cooperation with FORUM-Asia MASUM reiterates its call to the Indian government to join the international community in getting closer to the vision for a world without torture.
Stop torture now!

Comments

राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी: जल जीवन मिशन के लक्ष्य को पाने समन्वित प्रयास जरूरी

- राज कुमार सिन्हा* जल संसाधन से जुड़ी स्थायी समिति ने वर्तमान लोकसभा सत्र में पेश रिपोर्ट में बताया है कि "नल से जल" मिशन में राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी साबित हुए हैं। जबकि देश के 11 राज्यों में शत-प्रतिशत ग्रामीणों को नल से जल आपूर्ति शुरू कर दी गई है। रिपोर्ट में समिति ने केंद्र सरकार को सिफारिश की है कि मिशन पुरा करने में राज्य सरकारों की समस्याओं पर गौर किया जाए।

'A tribal lifeline': Health rights group asks Gujarat governor to halt Vyara govt hospital privatization

By A Representative In a strong appeal to the Governor of Gujarat, the National Health Rights Alliance (NHRA)—an initiative of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM)—has urged the state to halt the ongoing move to privatize the Vyara Government Hospital and Medical College in Tapi district.

Old bias, new excuses: How western media misrepresents India’s anti-terror strikes

By Gajanan Khergamker The recent Indian military strikes on Pakistan, dubbed Operation Sindoor, have sparked a storm of international media coverage. Several prominent outlets have portrayed India as the aggressor in the escalating conflict, raising concerns over biased reporting. This commentary critiques coverage by foreign media outlets such as The New York Times , Reuters, BBC, and CNN, which have often been accused of framing India’s actions as escalatory while downplaying or omitting critical context regarding Pakistan’s role in fostering terrorism. By examining historical patterns and current geopolitical dynamics, this analysis highlights the recurring selective framing, omission of evidence, and a tendency to favor narratives aligned with Western geopolitical interests over factual nuance.

Censor Board's bullying delays 'Phule': A blow to India's democratic spirit

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* A film based on the life and legacy of Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule was expected to release today. Instead, its release has been pushed to the last week of April. The reason? Protests by self-proclaimed guardians of caste pride—certain Brahmin groups—and forced edits demanded by a thoroughly discredited Censor Board.

CASR urges immediate halt to Operation Kagaar, calls for peace talks with Maoists

By A Representative The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), a collective of over 40 civil society organizations, has issued a press statement demanding an immediate end to "Operation Kagaar" and alleged state-led killings of Maoist rebels and indigenous people in central India. The group also called on the central government to create a conducive environment for initiating peace talks with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).

जैविक जीवित संसाधनों व प्रकृति पर निर्भर मजदूरों की व्यापक आर्थिक सुरक्षा कैसे हो?

- राज कुमार सिन्हा* भारत में 60 करोड़ से अधिक लोग भूमि, जल, जंगल और समुद्र जैसे प्राकृतिक स्रोतों पर निर्भर हैं । देश में 14.6 करोड़ छोटे और सीमांत किसान, 14.4 करोड़ खेतिहर मजदूर ( बड़ी संख्या में दलित हैं), 27.5 करोड़ वन निवासी, 2.8 करोड़ मछुआरे, 1.3 करोड़ पशुपालक और 1.7 करोड़ कारीगर हैं जो सीधे तौर पर प्रकृति के साथ और प्रकृति के भरोसे काम कर रहे हैं । लगभग 6 करोड़ मौसमी मजदूर हैं जो काम के सिलसिले में लगातार अपने गांव से बाहर जाते हैं और लौटते हैं। प्रकृति निर्भर समुदायों की आर्थिक गतिविधियां जो बड़े पैमाने पर जीवन निर्वाह और छोटी आय के लिए है। वर्तमान आर्थिक नीतियों के कारण, जो कॉर्पोरेट्स और बड़े व्यवसायों का समर्थन करती है, प्रकृति निर्भर समुदाय के लिए अव्यवहारिक होती जा रही है।

Naveen Gautam creates history, becomes first Dalit youth to moderate session at UN

By A Representative In a historic moment for Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent, Mr. Naveen Gautam of the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) became the first Dalit youth to moderate a session at any United Nations forum.

Kashmiriyat lives: Beyond the prime-time lies

By Rimmi Vaghela I am Rimmi from Ahmedabad. I contemplated this blog on April 27, 2025 in Jammu, when my plans of revisiting the paradise called Kashmir were shattered—not by fear, but by circumstances and sorrow. I decided to share my story with a heavy heart, hoping it reaches those who still believe in the warmth of humanity over the divisive noise of prime-time media.

In the fury of war, humanity succumbs to the illusion of nationalism

By Dr. Mansee Bal Bhargava* On May 7, Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti—also known as Rabindra Jayanti or Poncheeshe Boishakh in Kolkata—we celebrated the birth anniversary of the renowned poet, writer, philosopher, reformer, and Nobel laureate. On this occasion, I draw attention to Tagore’s timeless quotes, which resonate profoundly today, perhaps more than ever, as we live in a time when the ruling government has pushed the nation toward war.

Choice of the word 'Sindoor' in India's anti-terror operation: Symbolic feminism or patriarchal strategy?

By Dr. Mansee Bal Bhargava* In the aftermath of a war and subsequent ceasefire in 2025, Operation Sindoor has emerged as a focal point of national discourse, not only for its military objectives but also for its symbolic framing. The operation, named after a traditional marker of Hindu marital identity, and the prominent roles of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force in its media briefings, have been widely celebrated as a step toward gender inclusivity.

Search This Blog