New Delhi: A South Asian group of human rights activists has objected to the Asia Pacific Forum of regional national human rights institutions holding its next meeting in India due to the failure of NHRC to meet its mandated duties.In a statement, Colombo-based South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), a democratic regional body, said that it was “outraged to learn that the Asia Pacific Forum has allowed the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) to host its next conference in New Delhi on 20 and 21 September, 2023”. The group added that the Asia Pacific Forum has announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the conference.“On behalf of the civil society members of the South Asian region committed to the promotion and protection of human rights at the national and regional level, SAHR perceives that this decision of the Asia Pacific Forum will defeat the purpose as well as the past and future achievements it has so far been working for,” it said.The South Asian group pointed out that India’s NHRC has still been accredited with an ‘A’ grade status till now.However, it highlighted that the sub-committee on accreditation (SCA) of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) had recommended in March this year that further consideration on its accreditation will be deferred for 12 months.While giving its recommendation, the sub-committee had objected to the legislation governing the NHRC that allowed for police officers to be involved in investigation of cases. This objection to provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act of 1993 had been raised as far back as 2017, but was not changed.“The SCA reiterates that a fundamental requirement of the Paris Principles is that an NHRI is, and is perceived to be, able to operate independent of government interference. Where an NHRI’s members are seconded from the public service, and in particular where this includes those at the highest level in the NHRI, it raises questions about its capacity to fully function independently,” the SCA report had said in March.Besides, the report had also raised questions about the plurality of the membership, selection and appointment of members, appointment of secretary general and cooperation with other human rights bodies.The SCA had also pointed out that the NHRC “did not provide sufficient information with regards to how it implements its full mandate to monitor, promote, and protect the rights of everyone including religious minorities and HRDs”.Similarly, the SAHR statement alleged that the NHRC had “failed to do mandated duties as an independent institution adhered to the Paris Principles”.It pointed out that NHRC had been a “mute spectator” to the violence in Manipur with only a “limited response” made after observations from the Chief Justice.Furthermore, SAHR raised concerns over the Asia Pacific Forum’s decision to hold the conference in India, saying the decision could lead to other National Human Rights Institutions becoming equally politicised. It also asked the regional body to “reconsider this decision of allowing the NHRC to host this event, which is significant to upholding human rights in the regions of Asia and the Pacific”.