After Switzerland made comments on India’s media freedom and treatment of minorities at the 5th meeting of the UNHRC’s 60th Session in Geneva, India blasted the country harshly in front of the UNHRC.
India’s diplomat, Kshitij Tyagi, responded sharply, calling Switzerland’s remarks “surprising, shallow, and ill-informed.” He expressed disappointment that a traditionally close friend and partner would make such remarks, especially given Switzerland’s current position as UNHRC president.
Tyagi emphasized that Switzerland’s remarks did not accurately represent the situation on the ground in India and charged it of squandering the Council’s time by putting out patently misleading accounts of the Indian situation. Tyagi advised Switzerland to concentrate on tackling its internal problems, particularly racism, institutionalized discrimination, and the rise of xenophobia in Swiss society, rather than making dubious accusations.
He added that India has a strong history of political inclusion, coexistence, and defending freedoms and is the biggest, most diversified, and liveliest democracy in the world with a long-standing civilizational commitment to plurality. Tyagi responded sharply, saying that India is prepared to help Switzerland, if needed, address the serious issues of social exclusion and prejudice it faces at home.
The conversation came after Switzerland requested that New Delhi “take effective measures to protect minorities and uphold the rights to the freedom of expression and the freedom of the media” during its participation at the Council. Such remarks are a common part of nation-specific interventions in UNHRC discussions, but India, which is extremely sensitive to criticism of its internal issues from the outside, recently made one of its most forceful reactions.
The response demonstrates India’s increasing assertiveness in its human rights diplomacy, which aims to offset what New Delhi perceives as selective or biased criticism from Western countries. India not only rejected the criticism but also reaffirmed its diplomatic position that no nation should politicize or single out fellow UN members in the name of advancing universal human rights by openly questioning Switzerland’s moral authority to lecture others and drawing attention to the human rights issues facing European states.
The dispute also highlights the larger geopolitical environment in which India has worked to strengthen its claim to be a multicultural democracy that strikes a balance between diversity and national cohesion while fiercely objecting to what it views as hypocritical international scrutiny, particularly when it comes from nations that have blatantly failed to address social injustices and racial injustices at home.
