Violence around displacement major HR concern in India: Amnesty

New Delhi, May 23 (UNI) Violence around displacement and continued systemic discrimination of economically marginalised groups because of developmental projects in India have been highlighted as major areas of concern by the annual human rights assessment report of Amnesty International.

Policy frameworks for India's upcoming special economic zones and rehabilitation/resettlement policies are being reviewed but these do not fully address human rights concerns, said the report-named report 2007: Politics of Fear creating a dangerously divided world.

Expressing grave concern over the prevailing situation, it said no mandatory human rights impact assessments for projects or responsibility to ensure prior informed consent of communities is likely to be affected.

''Protests are being witnessed over displacement in West Bengal, Orissa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Pondicherry,'' said the report, which was also released worldwide.

Besides, the 340-page survey- which had a polycentric people's launch across 12 cities in India-- said perpetrators of past human rights violations continued to enjoy impunity in India.

Pointing out that human rights violations were reported in several states where security legislation were used to facilitate arbitrary detention and torture, it said draconian laws were not repealed.

''The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), long criticised for widespread abuses in North East was not repealed,'' it said.

Coming down heavily on the Government, the survey said justice and rehabilitation continued to evade most victims of 2002 Gujarat riots while Human Rights legislation was amended undermining the powers of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Addressing a news conference at the launch in Delhi, Amnesty International India Director Mukul Sharma said India needs a substantive and long-term investment in human rights, to build an effective system of justice and accountability.

''To strengthen the human rights machinery and protect rights of women we have to make long-term investment in human rights...

There should be respect for human rights defenders and for economic social as well as civil and political rights of poor,'' he added.

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