To talk of India is to invoke generalizations: The world’s “largest democracy,” an emerging world power, a destination for outsourcing, a nation of both extraordinary economic growth and enduring poverty. Less often discussed is India’s basic human rights record—one that Human Rights Watch has described as very poor, featuring extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances in conflict areas, torture in police custody, attacks on human rights defenders, failures to protect and promote women’s and children’s rights, curbs on Internet freedom and freedom of expression and association, and a general lack of protection for marginalized groups, particularly Dalits, tribal groups, religious minorities, women, and children. Meenakshi Ganguly will discuss her organization’s work to document these abuses and efforts to raise awareness of India’s rights record.

Human Rights Watch recently released a report on child sex abuse in India. It also recently released its annual world report, which contains a chapter on India. Other relevant reports can be found on Human Rights Watch's main India webpage.