Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-09-24-Speech-3-061"
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"en.20080924.5.3-061"2
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"Mr President, I would like to start by underlining that my group has a strong interest in good partnership-based relations with India, a country which is regarded as the world's largest democracy.
However – and this also needs to be emphasised – equal partnership means addressing problems honestly. That is still not happening with India, and nor is it evident in the resolution before us. That is why we are unfortunately unable to support this compromise.
How can we claim that India provides a model for handling cultural and religious pluralism, as stated in the resolution, when yet again, there have been countless deaths in the violent excesses perpetrated by extremist Hindus against Christians in Orissa and Muslims in Kashmir? Those responsible for the pogroms in Gujarat have still not been brought to justice. Around 200 cases are still caught up in India's sluggish judicial system.
Is resolute action genuinely being taken to deal with the radical factions' excesses and the massacres of Christians and Muslims? How much equality do the Dalits really enjoy? Is there genuine universality of human rights? Are children being protected from labour and exploitation at last? These are questions which we should be discussing frankly with our Indian partners.
In the last five years, the Indian National Human Rights Commission has recorded more than 14 000 deaths in police and military custody. I appeal to India to reform the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. It is this arbitrary justice which is fuelling the rebel movements in many Indian states.
Poverty in India is still a cause for serious concern, and even good-quality programmes are not enough. Much more needs to be done, given that 40% of the world's most undernourished children live in India.
With knowledge and technology transfer, Europe can make a very substantial contribution to genuinely sustainable development in India."@en1
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