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Category: Context (general situation in India)

Demolishing Human Rights in India

Demolishing Human Rights in India

Sabrang India / by Fr Cedric Prakash

This past year from December 2018, had two significant 70th anniversaries: first, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (10 December 1948) and then, of the promulgation of the Constitution of India (November 26, 2019). It is quite certain that the makers of the Indian Constitution took inspiration from the UDHR. Strangely enough, as if on cue, everything possible is done by the powers that control the destiny of the nation, to demolish human rights and the values enshrined in the Constitution!
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Big Brother is phishing you

Big Brother is phishing you

The Indian Express / By Ravi Shankar

WhatsApp Pegasus controversy has stoked new fears about government surveillance. As terrorists use encryption to hide their plots, civil society groups cry violation of rights.
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India Justice Report 2019 shows country’s failing criminal justice system

India Justice Report 2019 shows country’s failing criminal justice system


Pic: Arun Ferreira

Sabrgangindia.in / by Sanchita Kadam

India has only 1 police personnel for every 663 individuals. Most states and Union Territories (UTs) spend less than Rs. 100 per prisoner per day.
The report also states that in India, per capita public spending on legal aid is only Rs. 0.75 per annum. In a country where over 1.25 billion population is eligible for free legal aid, the per capita spending of 75 paise is quite a disgrace.
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Israeli Spyware: India Turns to WhatsApp For Answers, But What Should We Really Be Asking?

Israeli Spyware: India Turns to WhatsApp For Answers, But What Should We Really Be Asking?

The Wire / by The Wire Analysis

While the home ministry says reports have attempted to malign the Centre, we need to know who wanted to snoop on Indian targets and how successful they were.
New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government on Thursday sought a detailed response from WhatsApp over the issue of an Israeli spyware allegedly being used to target Indian journalists and human rights activists through its platform.
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First, They Came For the Lawyers…

First, They Came For the Lawyers…

The Wire / by Jhuma Sen

The Israeli spyware snooping scandal in the latest example of how India is no exception when it comes to common patterns of persecution and intimidation of lawyers working on human rights issues.
The relationship between civil liberties lawyers, more commonly identified by its universal moniker ‘human rights lawyers’ and repressive regimes globally demonstrate some common patterns of persecution and intimidation.
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Interview with Justice Sawant: Trappings of a fascist regime

Interview with Justice Sawant: Trappings of a fascist regime

Frontline / interview with P.B. Sawant by Lyla Bavadam

Justice (retired) P.B. Sawant served as a judge of the Supreme Court of India from 1989 to 1995. He also served as a judge in the Bombay High Court, before which he was an advocate practising all branches of law. Deeply involved in social activism after retirement, he is known to take an unequivocal position on human rights and civil rights and against communal forces.
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Crimes Against Women, Dalits and Adivasis Surge

Crimes Against Women, Dalits and Adivasis Surge

News Click / by Subodh Varma

The much delayed NCRB report for 2017 shows that three-fourths of those accused of crimes against women are set free by courts. …
Crimes against the two most oppressed and exploited sections of Indian society – dalits (Scheduled Castes) and adivasis (Scheduled Tribes) – too showed increases by about 10% and 5%, respectively, over 2013.
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India’s among the world’s top three surveillance states

India’s among the world’s top three surveillance states

Quartz India / by Niharika Sharma

India, the world’s largest democracy, is also among the biggest surveillance states.
The country ranks behind only Russia and China when it comes to surveilling citizens, the UK-based research firm Compritech has found. On the company’s privacy index, India scored 2.4 out of 5, indicating a “systemic failure to maintain (privacy) safeguards.”
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