New Delhi: India on Tuesday sharply reacted after UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet expressed regret at the tightening of space for human rights NGOs, saying that framing of laws is “obviously a sovereign prerogative”.
“We have seen some comments by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on an issue relating to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). India is a democratic polity based on the rule of law and an independent judiciary. The framing of laws is obviously a sovereign prerogative,” External Affairs Ministry's official spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
He further said: “Violations of law, however, cannot be condoned under the pretext of human rights. A more informed view of the matter was expected of a UN body.”
Earlier, Ms Bachelet had asked the Indian government to safeguard the rights of human rights defenders and NGOs, and their ability to carry on with their work on behalf of the groups they represent.
“India has long had a strong civil society, which has been at the forefront of ground breaking human rights advocacy within the country and globally,” she said in a statement.
“But I am concerned that vaguely defined laws are increasingly being used to stifle these voices,” the UN Human Rights chief said.
FCRA prohibits the receipt of foreign funds “for any activities prejudicial to the public interest”. The act, which was adopted in 2010 and amended last month, has had a “detrimental impact on the right to freedom of association and expression of human rights NGOs, and as a result on their ability to serve as effective advocates to protect and promote human rights in India”, the UNHRC chief's statement said.
