'Human rights laws not implemented in India'

Treatment of hijras in Bangalore and lack of treatment for HIV patients in the state come under the scanner

Hijras decide to speak out against the injustice meted out to them File pic

Treatment of hijras in Bangalore and lack of treatment for HIV patients in the state come under the scanner

The Indian government has drawn a lot of flak for its human rights record.

The Human Rights Watch World annual report 2009 has hauled up the country for not implementing its laws against Human Rights violation.u00a0

The arrest of hijiras in Bangalore finds a special mention, besides incidents of insurgency and the recruitment of minors by Naxals.

Many instances

"A case is still pending before the Supreme Court which seeks to strike down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code u00e2u0080u0093u00a0 a British colonial provision u00e2u0080u0093 so as to decriminalise consensual homosexual conduct between adults.

While some officials, including the health minister, support repealing the law, others have vigorously defended it. In October 2008, police in Bangalore arrested five hijras (transgender) women u00e2u0080u0093 and then detained 37 human rights and activists who came to assist them, even beating and sexually abusing some of them," the report said.

HIV status

The report also counts Karnataka among states with a high number of HIV positive people. It says that the state has been ineffective in providing free antiretroviral therapy.

"According to the National AIDS Control Organisation, more than 2.5 million people are living with HIV.

Four southern states (Andhra, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka) account for nearly two-thirds of those infected. Although antiretroviral therapy is supposed to be freely available at public health facilities, there are significant regional disparities in implementation of the policy," it read.

Among other incidents of human rights violations, the attack on Christians in Orissa, rape of a nun, unrest in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East, use of force by police and security personnel and naxalism, all figure.

The report also states that the state rights commissions lack teeth.