India dismisses US State Department's report on Manipur clashes, says 'deeply biased'

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly rebuffed the recent '2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: India' released by the US State Department, dismissing its portrayal of the ethnic clashes in Manipur as "deeply biased" and lacking understanding of the Indian context.

The report, issued annually as mandated by the US Congress, highlighted alleged "human rights abuses" following violent confrontations between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's condemnation of the incident as "shameful" was also noted.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed the Indian government's disregard for the report, urging others to do the same. "This report is deeply biased and reflects a poor understanding of India. We attach no value to it and urge you to do the same," Jaiswal stated during the MEA's weekly briefing.

In response to campus protests in the United States, particularly those at Columbia University over Israel's military actions in Gaza, Jaiswal emphasized the importance of balancing freedom of expression with a sense of responsibility. "In every democracy, there has to be the right balance between freedom of expression, sense of responsibility, and public safety and order," he asserted.

Jaiswal stressed the significance of democracies understanding and respecting each other's internal affairs. "Democracies in particular should display this understanding in regard to other fellow democracies. After all, we are all judged by what we do at home and not what we say abroad," he added.

Regarding the case of designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Jaiswal disclosed that a high-level committee has been established to investigate information shared by the American authorities. "The high-level committee is looking into several pieces of information that were shared by the American side with us because they also equally impact our national security," Jaiswal explained.

Furthermore, the MEA spokesperson confirmed the well-being of the 15 Indian crew members aboard the ship seized by Iran. "One girl who was there has returned. We had asked for consular access for these 16 people and we received that, and our officers met them," Jaiswal assured.