Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of India about the death of Father Stan Swamy in custody whilst awaiting trial in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
I was greatly saddened to learn of Father Swamy's passing on July 5, aged 84. I raised Father Swamy's case with India's Foreign Secretary, Harsh Shringla, and India's Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kishan Reddy, on 15 March while in India. Most recently, I discussed Father Swamy's case with the Indian High Commissioner on 8 June.
We engage with India on a range of human rights matters and oppose discrimination against minorities because of religion, caste, or belief. The British High Commission in New Delhi and Deputy High Commission in Mumbai had been monitoring Father Swamy's case closely and will continue to monitor progress on the rights of Dalits and indigenous people in India.
The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions across India regularly meet representatives from minority communities and run projects promoting minority rights. Our project work has provided legal training for 2,000 Dalit women to combat violence against them. We also helped establish the first network of Dalit Women Human Rights Defenders who are trained as paralegals in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Furthermore, we engaged 365 state criminal justice system officials in case issues, training programmes, legal roundtables, and awareness raising programmes.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of India about the imprisoned human rights activist Stan Swamy prior to his death on 5 July; whether they made representations about his campaign on behalf of Dalits and Adivasis; and if so, what response they received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
I was greatly saddened to learn of Father Swamy's passing on July 5, aged 84. I raised Father Swamy's case with India's Foreign Secretary, Harsh Shringla, and India's Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kishan Reddy, on 15 March while in India. Most recently, I discussed Father Swamy's case with the Indian High Commissioner on 8 June.
We engage with India on a range of human rights matters and oppose discrimination against minorities because of religion, caste, or belief. The British High Commission in New Delhi and Deputy High Commission in Mumbai had been monitoring Father Swamy's case closely and will continue to monitor progress on the rights of Dalits and indigenous people in India.
The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions across India regularly meet representatives from minority communities and run projects promoting minority rights. Our project work has provided legal training for 2,000 Dalit women to combat violence against them. We also helped establish the first network of Dalit Women Human Rights Defenders who are trained as paralegals in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Furthermore, we engaged 365 state criminal justice system officials in case issues, training programmes, legal roundtables, and awareness raising programmes.
Mentions:
1: Lord Hussain (LDEM - Life peer) But when I match these values and principles with the conditions and treatment of Christians, Dalits, - Speech Link
Found: (2) water and sanitation, and (3) access to justice for marginalised communities in Nepal including Dalits
Found: food and emergency handouts to Christians and Hindus.18 In Nepal, there were also reports that Dalits
Mentions:
1: Martin Docherty-Hughes (SNP - West Dunbartonshire) minority rights, especially in India, where minority and indigenous groups such as Sikhs, Muslims and Dalits - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB - Life peer) This should include educational projects to liberate the children of India’s enslaved Dalits and Adivasis - Speech Link
Written Evidence Jan. 15 2021
Inquiry: All-Party Parliamentary GroupsFound: (APG0027)Written evidence submitted by the AAPG for DalitsThe APPG for Dalits, of which I am co-Chair
Mentions:
1: Naz Shah (LAB - Bradford West) Other marginalised groups such as Dalits, those of lower caste or even non-religious groups such as humanists - Speech Link
2: Stephen Timms (LAB - East Ham) state negligence or complicity.”Government inaction has meant that mob lynching against Muslims and Dalits - Speech Link
Found: reached new levels.”7 Other minority groups Human Rights Watch’s 2019 report on India, suggested that Dalits