For a country that has dealt with several waves of refugees, it seems counter-intuitive that India does not have an established domestic law on refugees or a concrete refugee policy. This big gap will become a huge problem, as climate change displaces thousands into India in the years and decades ahead.
Posts published in “Gender and Human Rights”
India’s movement for freedom was unique for its reform of regressive social attitudes and norms towards women and marginalised sections of society. But in recent times, the attitudes and norms in some parts of India towards gender and human rights have been a source of concern. Freedom Gazette is reviving India’s legacy as a progressive leader on these issues.
Indian courts are constantly under pressure to impose capital punishment for sexual offenses, despite little to no proof that capital punishment directly deters crime in our society. But a more effective solution to sexual violence has already been found in the rest of the world: rehabilitation.
Patriarchal gender norms underlie honour killings and love jihad. Girls and young women in India continue to be deprived of their free and full choice on whom and when to marry. This abuse of women's rights is a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In 2019, the Indian government ordered an internet shutdown a whopping 103 times on various occasions. Multiple High Courts, most recently in Uttar Pradesh and Assam, have ruled that internet shutdowns violate fundamental rights. Yet, in Jammu and Kashmir, there has been no respite. Why?
The proposed amendment to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 aims to give women safe, protected and choice-based abortions. But on closer examination, the Bill fails to be as progressive as it wants to be. Women still haven’t been given complete autonomy over their bodies.
Whenever there is a one percentage point increase in poverty, there is always a 0.7 percent increase in child labour. With falling family incomes, many children might choose to stay out-of-school even after the pandemic subsides, in order to add to the household income.
Mental health is gravely affected in numerous ways by regressive social norms, which curtail individual freedom. Improving the state of mental health in India requires a multidimensional approach - more inclusive policies, better law enforcement, and sustained social reform.
Former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Gopala Gowda, writes that the Supreme Court's infamous response to the migrant worker crisis during COVID-19 will be remembered as its darkest moment – even superseding its actions during the Emergency.
Judgments of the Supreme Court have pointed out that there is an arbitrary application of the death penalty. This is a gross violation of human rights and is also counterproductive. Harsh punishments will not serve as a deterrent, if the punishment itself is applied arbitrarily.
Despite the global spotlight on refugees, those who flee from climate change have little protection under international law since they do not appear to face a ‘fear of persecution’ from the state. As global temperatures rise and millions flee their lands, a crisis is impending and the world needs a solution very quickly.