Unfounded and baseless, cherry picking of situations: India slams U.N. Human Rights chief's remarks

India criticizes UN human rights chief for unfounded comments on Kashmir and Manipur, emphasizing democracy and pluralism.

India slammed the “unfounded and baseless” comments made by the U.N.’s human rights chief, who mentioned Kashmir and Manipur in his global update, with Delhi voicing concern over the update’s generalised remarks and “cherry picking” of situations.

“As India was mentioned by name, let me begin by emphasising that the world's largest democracy continues to be a healthy, vibrant and pluralistic society. Unfounded and baseless comments in the update contrast jarringly with ground realities,” Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva Ambassador Arindam Bagchi said on Monday (March 3, 2025).

India’s strong retort came after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, in his global update to the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, mentioned India and referred to the situation in Manipur and Kashmir.

Bagchi said the people of India have "repeatedly proven wrong such misplaced concerns about us” and “we would urge a better understanding of India and our civilizational ethos of diversity and openness, which continue to define our robust and often cacophonous civic space.” Bagchi said nothing illustrates this divergence more than the passing reference to Jammu and Kashmir, which Turk "erroneously referred to as Kashmir” in the global update.

The Indian envoy said this is ironic in a year that stood out for that region's improving peace and inclusive progress, be it the large turnout in provincial elections, the booming tourism or the rapid development pace.

Asserting that the global update needs a “genuine update”, Bagchi said “at a larger level, we are concerned about the global update’s oversimplifications of complex issues, sweeping and generalized remarks, usage of loose terminologies and apparent cherry picking of situations.

“The High Commissioner has sensed a pervasive unease, but we would submit that a key element to addressing this is a long and hard look in the mirror by the Office of the High Commissioner,” Bagchi said.