Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Scottish National Party (SNP) MP Alex Salmond have signed a parliamentary motion calling on Prime Minister David Cameron to raise human rights concerns with Indian PM Narendra Modi when he visits the UK in November.
The Early Day Motion (EDM) urges the government to investigate reports of human rights atrocities in Kashmir and the ongoing detention of multiple political prisoners, several of whom are on hunger strike.
Sponsors of the motion include Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and the SNP’s Paul Monaghan. The majority of supporters are from the Labour Party, with the exception of four Labour MPs who announced they would donate their pay rise to help fund a welcome reception for the Indian PM.
Monaghan told the International Business Times UK he sponsored the EDM because he wants India’s leaders to review their human rights record.
“I was very happy to support the Early Day Motion in respect of the promotion of human rights in India,” he said.
“While I recognize and respect the right of the people of India to develop their culture and their society as they see fit, I would equally, with the greatest of respect, ask political leaders in India to review the circumstances surrounding the hunger strikes and other protests currently being undertaken by individuals fighting for recognition of human rights in that country.”
Jeremy Corbyn signed the motion as a supporter, rather than sponsor, having previously sponsored a motion in 2013 calling on the Home Office to reinstitute a ban on Modi due to “his role in communal violence in 2002 in Gujarat.”
Modi was governor of Gujarat when outbreaks of violence led by Hindu nationalists against Muslims caused hundreds of deaths, instances of rape and looting.
Official figures state 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus were killed in the riots, which some academics have described as a pogrom.
At the time Modi was accused of being ambivalent to the violence, and even condoning the attacks on Gujarat’s Muslim population. A Special Investigation Team set up by the Supreme Court of India cleared Modi in 2012 of complicity in the violence, a ruling which has been challenged by Muslim community leaders.
The motion was initiated by Jim Cunningham, Labour MP for Coventry South, who also criticized the Indian government’s decision to ban a BBC documentary about the horrific gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi.
‘India’s Daughter’ was banned by the Indian government upon its release in March, ostensibly to prevent the filmmakers from gaining “commercial benefit” from the tragic incident.
The EDM also concerns the ongoing incarceration of political prisoners, several of whom are on hunger strike, including Bapu Surat Singh in Punjab, Devinderpal Singh Bhullar and Dr. Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba.
Cameron has come under fire for valuing business deals over human rights in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is currently visiting the UK on a four-day state visit.
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