‘Space for civil society shrinking rapidly in India’

NEW DELHI: Police on Monday filed an FIR under various sections of the IPC including section 124A - sedition, against Amnesty International India for alleged raising

NEW DELHI: Police on Monday filed an FIR under various sections of the IPC including section 124A - sedition, against Amnesty International India for alleged raising of “anti-India” slogans at an event organised by it in Bengaluru. The alleged sloganeering — held to highlight human rights abuses in J&K — earned the ire of right-wing students group ABVP. In an email interview to Poulomi Banerjee, the organisation’s executive director, Aakar Patel, rejects the charges and says the government needs to uphold the freedom of expression.

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What was the nature of the event in Bengaluru and what happened there that resulted in the FIR? Have you organised events on Human Rights violations in Kashmir before? If yes, have you faced any problems with the authority before this?

The event was held on August 13 as part of a campaign based on the report “Denied: Failures in accountability for human rights violations by security force personnel in J&K”, published in July 2015. We had planned to organise events in three cities — Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi this August. At these events, families from J&K who had suffered rights violations were to share their personal stories. The event also saw the screening of three short videos profiling the cases of the three families who had been invited. Senior journalist Seema Mustafa then moderated a discussion with members of two families from Kashmir and RK Mattoo, who was invited to speak about violations faced by the Kashmiri Pandit community. Towards the end of the event, some of those at the event raised slogans, some of which referred to calls for ‘Azaadi’ (freedom). In July 2015, we held a press conference at the Constitutional Club, we did not face any problems with the authorities then.

Last year, on the 25th year of Afspa in Kashmir, Amnesty released a report on human rights violations in Kashmir during the years of Afspa. Were there any attempts to stop its publication then? If not, why do you now think has this sedition charge been made against Amnesty now? Do you think the authorities are especially touchy about Kashmir at present owing to the situation there?

There were no attempts to stop the publication. Amnesty International India sent a copy of the report to authorities in the ministry of home affairs and the ministry of defence. No response was received. The report’s recommendations were welcomed by the People’s Democratic Party.