United Nations, Oct 17: India has rejected a report by a United Nations human rights expert alleging that young people in India face retaliation or social stigma for discussing mental health and gender justice. The Indian delegation described the claims as unverified and urged the expert to verify the information before making such allegations.
Anuj Swarup, First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, raised the objection during an interactive dialogue with Gina Romero, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee.
India Questions Evidence in UN Report
Swarup criticised Romero’s report, arguing that its allegations about Indian youth were based on anonymous submissions rather than verified evidence.
He said the report referred to unnamed sources in a footnote and questioned the use of such information to make broad claims about India’s young population.
“A sweeping charge against the world’s largest youth population, resting on anonymous and unverified claims, is not evidence. It is hearsay dressed up as a UN report, and my delegation rejects it outright,” Swarup said.
He urged the Special Rapporteur to verify the information and ensure accuracy and fairness in her reports.
Report Mentions Youth Political Movement
Romero’s report also referred to a satirical political movement created by young people in India, identified as the Cockroach Janata Party.
The report further stated that some young Indians had reported retaliation or stigmatisation for discussing mental health and gender justice.
Responding to these observations, Swarup questioned the report’s credibility and said such reporting could undermine public confidence in the United Nations and its institutions.
He maintained that freedom of speech and expression, peaceful assembly and association are guaranteed under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution.
Swarup also cited India’s independent judiciary, free press and National Human Rights Commission as safeguards for citizens’ rights.
India Highlights Government Engagement with Youth
Swarup argued that the existence of a satirical youth political movement demonstrated that young people could question the government and participate in political discussions.
He also referred to comments made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Human Rights Council the previous month, which highlighted the importance of dialogue with young leaders in the context of youth-led movements in India.
According to Swarup, the government had also engaged with students who protested over alleged irregularities in public examinations earlier this year.
He said Parliament amended the Public Examinations Act following the protests, increasing penalties for examination paper leaks. He also highlighted measures to improve the examination system and establish fast-track courts in every state to deal with examination fraud.
Swarup presented these measures as examples of the government responding to young people’s concerns.
India Cites Youth Participation in National Programmes
The Indian representative also highlighted youth participation in the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, stating that more than five million young people took part in the initiative this year.
He said the programme provided young people with an opportunity to contribute to discussions on national priorities, including through direct engagement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Swarup added that the Prime Minister and several Union ministers regularly interact with young people, both directly and through social media.
Concluding his remarks, he emphasised the importance of youth in India’s future and cited Modi’s message that the capabilities of young people would strengthen the country’s overall development.
India’s response at the UN focused on challenging the evidence behind the allegations and highlighting the constitutional protections and youth engagement initiatives cited by the government.
