US points finger, India looks the other way

NEW DELHI: Choosing to be dismissiveof findings of the US State Department''s country reports on human rightspractices, India today said this was an "exercise internal to the US" and itwould not take any cognisance of it."It is an exercise internal tothe US and Government of India does not take any cognisance of it," ExternalAffairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters here when asked about theUS report on India.In its annual report, the US State Departmentsaid tension between Hindus on the one hand and Muslims and Christians on theother, remained a challenge to India''s secular formation.Sarna said,"It is widely acknowledged internationally that India is a democratic andsecular country where the Constitution provides absolute protection ofindividual freedoms for all our citizens and where democratic governance, ruleof law and established conventions further promote and protect theserights".He said, "Any contravention of these rights or any abusesare handled by our own internal processes including our law enforcementagencies, press, judiciary and bodies such as the National Human RightsCommission."Among India''s shortcomings, the report listed violencein some of the elections; allegations that corruption influenced courtdecisions; police atrocities; atrocities by both government forces andmilitants, including foreign militants, in Kashmir and elsewhere andrestrictions on religious and academicfreedom.