New Delhi: Civil society activists have called for the expansion of the human rights dialogue between India and the European Union (EU) to prevent it from becoming a “box-ticking exercise”.
Representatives of the European Commission, the Indian government and EU member states held the 11th EU-India Human Rights Dialogue on January 8, 2025. Issues such as freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression and safeguarding the rights of human rights defenders, civil society organisations and journalists were discussed at the meeting.
“India and the EU reiterated their commitment to the shared principles and values of democracy, freedom, rule of law and to the promotion and protection of all human rights,” the joint statement read.
However, Netherland-based advocacy group The London Story (TLS) in a statement said, “The European Commission cannot set a precedent whereby mutual respect for human rights and democratic values are set aside for partnerships with third countries due to their geopolitical position.”
The rights group said that future dialogues should include concrete steps from India and EU to ensure:
- The ethno-religious conflict in Manipur, including the use of internet shutdowns and curfews, ends.
- Human rights defenders, students and activists are not repressed by governments in either bloc. In India, the cessation of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against these groups.
- Freedom of expression, freedom of speech, including for journalists, and media freedoms are not suppressed.
- Freedom of religion or belief is not eroded.
The group demanded that the European parliament’s decision on human rights and democracy must move from “an appendix to the heart of the EU-India relations.”
TLS also called for an assurance that human rights, including the right to privacy, of both Indian and EU citizens will not be compromised when working towards an EU-India Free Trade Agreement and digital partnership.
Delayed dialogues
The human rights dialogue between India and the EU was originally scheduled for August 2024. However, the dialogue was indefinitely postponed by the Indian side, a day before it was set to begin.
In December, civil society organisations were unofficially advised that the dialogue has been rescheduled to January, 2025.
“Whilst this may appear to be good news, these dialogues are nothing more than a paper tiger. It is hardly a coincidence that an EU delegation of MEPs are visiting the country at the same time as the rescheduled dialogue. Now that the human rights box is soon to be checked off by the European Commission, the delegation, who are seeking to enhance EU-India digital innovation, will be able to sell off the EU’s digital economy to the highest bidder in India. No questions asked,” Aisling Lynch-Kelly and Ritumbra Manuvie of the TLS had said.
Calling the India-EU bilateral dialogue “an important though insufficient” opportunity for either side to articulate their human rights-related concerns, five organisations – including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch – said the EU ought to call on New Delhi to “uphold the rights to freedom of speech, assembly and religion”.
