NEW DELHI: India on Friday rejected a report by UN Special Rapporteur Gina Romero alleging that young people in the country face retaliation or stigmatisation for discussing mental health and gender justice, describing the claims as “hearsay dressed up as a UN report” and questioning the use of anonymous submissions.
Delivering India’s national statement at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) Third Committee during an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Anuj Swarup, urged Romero to verify the allegations before concluding the country’s youth.
“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 objected to Romero’s assertion that young people in India had reported facing retaliation or stigmatisation for discussing mental health or gender justice, arguing that the report cited only “unnamed submissions” in a footnote.
“A mandate holder who relies on anonymous inputs to generalise for 1.4 billion people does a disservice to the very mandate she holds. We urge this Special Rapporteur to verify before she vilifies and to bring the required rigour and fairness in her reports,” he said.
Romero’s report also took note of a “satirical political movement” created by young people in India, referring to the Cockroach Janata Party. India cited the movement as an example of young people being able to question the government and participate in political discourse.
“In which repressive State does a satirical youth party question the government, marches on the capital, and then sits across the table with senior national leaders?” Swarup said.
He added that the report’s approach reflected a broader problem in the functioning of international institutions. “This level of arbitrary report writing is precisely the reason that the United Nations and its institutions have lost credibility,” he said.
Swarup maintained that freedom of peaceful assembly, association, speech and expression was guaranteed to every Indian citizen under Article 19 of the Constitution. These freedoms, he said, were protected by an independent judiciary, a free press and an empowered National Human Rights Commission.
Referring to comments made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Human Rights Council last month, Swarup said dialogue with young leaders was a more effective way to address youth-led movements. “Perhaps that update escaped the Special Rapporteur’s attention,” he added.
He also cited student protests over alleged irregularities in public examinations earlier this year, claiming that the government had engaged constructively with the protesters.
According to Swarup, Parliament subsequently amended the Public Examinations Act to double punishments for paper leaks, while measures were taken to overhaul the examination system and establish fast-track courts in every state to prosecute examination fraud. “This is the true testament of democracy in action. Youth represents our strength and shared future,” he said.