Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The European Parliament (EP), in the French town of Strasbourg, passed a resolution on Manipur and called on the Indian government to act promptly to halt the violence and protect religious minorities. The resolution was passed by a show of hands on Thursday after a debate on the issue on Wednesday evening.
India’s Foreign Secretary on Wednesday, had categorically stated, that they had reached out to the European Parliamentarians and had conveyed to them that this was India’s internal matter and needed no intervention.
The EP resolution has asked the Indian government to pre-empt any further escalation. It also calls on authorities to grant unhindered access to the area by journalists and international observers and to end the internet shutdown.
ALSO READ | NIA chargesheets three members from banned outfits for extortion, terror in Manipur
Furthermore, the EP resolution also asked the government to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in line with the recommendations of the UN Universal Periodic Review.
Through the resolution, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) called on the E.U. to make human rights prominent in its dialogue and relationship with India — a point that was repeatedly raised during the pre-vote debate. The process brought together an unlikely mix of left and right parties which also approved two other resolutions on rights in Venezuela and Kyrgyzstan.
“Nobody is proposing breaking off relations with India. It is a great democracy, but it has to be a better democracy,” said MEP, Pierre Larratourou (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats). He also recommended that EP demand that respect for human rights is included in the India-EU trade partnership.
NEW DELHI: The European Parliament (EP), in the French town of Strasbourg, passed a resolution on Manipur and called on the Indian government to act promptly to halt the violence and protect religious minorities. The resolution was passed by a show of hands on Thursday after a debate on the issue on Wednesday evening.
India’s Foreign Secretary on Wednesday, had categorically stated, that they had reached out to the European Parliamentarians and had conveyed to them that this was India’s internal matter and needed no intervention.
The EP resolution has asked the Indian government to pre-empt any further escalation. It also calls on authorities to grant unhindered access to the area by journalists and international observers and to end the internet shutdown.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
ALSO READ | NIA chargesheets three members from banned outfits for extortion, terror in Manipur
Furthermore, the EP resolution also asked the government to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in line with the recommendations of the UN Universal Periodic Review.
Through the resolution, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) called on the E.U. to make human rights prominent in its dialogue and relationship with India — a point that was repeatedly raised during the pre-vote debate. The process brought together an unlikely mix of left and right parties which also approved two other resolutions on rights in Venezuela and Kyrgyzstan.
“Nobody is proposing breaking off relations with India. It is a great democracy, but it has to be a better democracy,” said MEP, Pierre Larratourou (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats). He also recommended that EP demand that respect for human rights is included in the India-EU trade partnership.
