From%201988-1991%2C%20I%20was%20posted%20at%20the%20Permanent%20Mission%20of%20India%20in%20Geneva%20and%20handled%20human%20rights-related%20work%20among%20other%20responsibilities.%20I%20used%20to%20attend%20the%20meetings%20of%20the%20Human%20Rights%20Commission%20which%20was%20held%20annually%20during%20January-March.%20I%20would%20also%20attend%20various%20meetings%20of%20its%20subordinate%20bodies%2C%20such%20as%20the%20Sub-Commission%20on%20Human%20Rights%2C%20a%20body%20composed%20of%20experts.

A%20huge%20number%20of%20Non-Governmental%20organisations%20would%20also%20attend%20these%20meetings%2C%20and%20many%20of%20them%20would%20consistently%20target%20the%20very%20same%20countries%20year%20after%20another.%20Very%20soon%2C%20I%20realised%20that%20they%20were%20%27Non-Governmental%27%20only%20in%20name%2C%20for%20most%20of%20them%20were%20funded%20by%20some%20country%20or%20countries%20and%20were%20carrying%20out%20the%20tasks%20entrusted%20to%20them.%20They%20would%20regularly%20be%20seen%20conferring%20with%20the%20same%20governmental%20delegates%20day%20after%20day.%20Not%20surprisingly%2C%20their%20statements%20during%20the%20meetings%20were%20in%20line%20with%20those%20of%20the%20concerned%20government%20or%20governments.

Also%20read%3A%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/new-horizons-emerging-for-india-from-desert-flag-vi%22%3E%3Cstrong%3ENew%20horizons%20emerging%20for%20India%20from%20Desert%20Flag%20VI%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

The%20memories%20of%20that%20period%20of%20my%20career%20returned%20recently%20when%20Freedom%20House%2C%20a%20US-based%2C%20US-funded%20Non-Governmental%20organised%20organisation%20said%20in%20its%20recent%20report%20%27Democracy%20under%20Siege%27%20that%20Civil%20liberties%20in%20India%20have%20been%20in%20decline%20since%20PM%20Narendra%20Modi%20came%20to%20power%20in%202014%2C%20adding%20that%20the%20change%20in%20India%27s%20status%20is%20part%20of%20a%20global%20shift%20in%20the%20balance%20between%20democracy%20and%20authoritarianism.%20It%20added%20that%20India%27s%20%22fall%20from%20the%20upper%20ranks%20of%20free%20nations%22%20could%20have%20a%20more%20damaging%20effect%20on%20the%20world%27s%20democratic%20standards.%20The%20report%20downgraded%20India%27s%20rating%20to%20%27partly%20free%27%20and%20said%20%22With%20India%27s%20decline%20to%20Partly%20Free%2C%20less%20than%2020%25%20of%20the%20world%27s%20population%20now%20lives%20in%20a%20Free%20country%2C%20the%20smallest%20proportion%20since%201995.%22

Also%20read%3A%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/pakistans-terror-factories-unable-to-produce-urgently-needed-vaccines%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EPakistan%27s%20terror%20factories%20unable%20to%20produce%20urgently%20needed%20vaccines%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

The%20Indian%20government%20rebutted%20this%20assessment%20by%20Freedom%20House%2C%20saying%20that%20it%20is%20%22misleading%2C%20incorrect%20and%20misplaced.%u201D%20The%20rebuttal%20said%20the%20Centre%20treats%20all%20citizens%20as%20equal%20as%20%u2018enshrined%u2019%20under%20the%20Indian%20Constitution%20and%20all%20laws%20are%20applicable%20without%20any%20discrimination.%20Due%20process%20of%20law%20is%20followed%20in%20issues%20relating%20to%20law%20and%20order-%20irrespective%20of%20the%20alleged%20instigator%u2019s%20identity.%20It%20also%20defended%20the%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/53-deaths-over-700-cases-the-riots-that-scarred-delhi-in-2020%22%3Ehandling%20of%20the%20Delhi%20riots%3C/a%3E%20that%20broke%20out%20last%20year%20over%20the%20controversial%20citizenship%20law%2C%20asserting%20that%20the%20law%20enforcement%20machinery%20acted%20quickly%20and%20in%20an%20impartial%20and%20fair%20manner.%20Appropriate%20actions%20were%20taken%20to%20control%20the%20situation.

However%2C%20it%20is%20pertinent%20to%20analyse%20the%20credentials%20and%20objectives%20of%20Freedom%20House%20to%20understand%20whether%20it%20is%20an%20independent%20body%20or%20someone%20else%27s%20mouth%20piece.%20The%20organisation%27s%20annual%26nbsp%3B%3Ci%3E%20%27Freedom%20in%20the%20World%27%20%3C/i%3Ereport%3Ci%3E%20%3C/i%3Ewhich%20assesses%20each%20country%27s%20degree%20of%20political%20freedoms%20and%20civil%20liberties%2C%20is%20frequently%20cited%20by%20US%20political%20scientists%2C%20journalists%20and%20policymakers.%20However%2C%20while%20it%20describes%20itself%20as%20a%20%22clear%20voice%20for%20democracy%20and%20freedom%20around%20the%20world%2C%22%20its%20critics%20have%20stated%20that%20the%20organisation%20is%20biased%20towards%20US%20interests.%20The%20organisation%20was%2066%25%20funded%20by%20grants%20from%20the%20U.S.%20government%20in%202006%2C%20a%20number%20which%20had%20increased%20to%2086%25%20by%202016.%20By%202016%2C%20US%20Governmental%20funding%20of%20Freedom%20House%20was%20over%20%2424.8%20million%2C%20and%20this%20figure%20is%20believed%20to%20have%20only%20increased%20since%20then.%26nbsp%3B

Analyst%27s%20have%20pointed%20towards%20the%20fact%20that%20the%20reliance%20on%20US%20funding%20is%20%22a%20problem.%22%20For%20example%2C%20Sally%20Engle%20Merry%3B%20Kevin%20E.%20Davis%3B%20Benedict%20Kingsbury%20wrote%20in%20their%20May%202015%20study%20%27The%20quiet%20power%20of%20indicators%3A%20Measuring%20Governments%2C%20corruption%20and%20Rule%20of%20Law%27%20%3A%20%22%20By%20the%20mid-1990s%2C%20Freedom%20House%20had%20come%20to%20rely%20heavily%20on%20US%20government%20funding.%20The%20appearance%20of%20bias%20due%20to%20government%20funding%20was%20recognised%20as%20a%20problem%2C%20not%20just%20by%20outside%20critics%20but%20also%20within%20the%20walls%20of%20Freedom%20House.%20It%20was%20ultimately%20accepted%20as%20a%20necessary%20evil%20…%22%26nbsp%3B

Also%20read%3A%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/indo-us-relations-under-joe-biden-looking-into-the-crystal-ball%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndo-US%20relations%20under%20Joe%20Biden%3A%20Looking%20into%20the%20crystal%20ball%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

There%20is%20an%20old%20saying%20that%20he%20who%20pays%20the%20piper%20calls%20the%20tune.%20There%20is%20no%20denying%20the%20fact%20that%20the%20huge%20amount%20of%20funding%20from%20the%20US%20Government%20enables%20it%20to%20have%20a%20decisive%20say%20in%20the%20functioning%20of%20Freedom%20House.

Trump%20had%20maintained%20a%20tactical%20silence%20in%20regard%20to%20India%27s%20Citizenship%20Amendment%20Act%20and%20the%20human%20rights%20situation%20in%20Jammu%20and%20Kashmir.%20While%20the%20Biden%20Administration%20may%20also%20be%20maintaining%20a%20similar%20tactical%20silence%20on%20these%20internal%20matters%20of%20India%2C%20their%20thinking%20in%20this%20regard%20is%20not%20a%20secret.%20In%202019%2C%20soon%20after%20the%20Centre%20stripped%20Jammu%20and%20Kashmir%20of%20special%20status%20under%20Article%20370%20and%20split%20it%20into%20two%20Union%20Territories%2C%20Kamala%20Harris%20did%20not%20mince%20words.%20%u201CWe%20have%20to%20remind%20Kashmiris%20they%20are%20not%20alone%20in%20the%20world%2C%u201D%20she%20said.%20%u201CWe%20are%20keeping%20a%20track%20on%20the%20situation.%20There%20is%20a%20need%20to%20intervene%20if%20the%20situation%20demands.%u201D%20Again%2C%20in%20the%20Biden%20campaign%u2019s%20agenda%20for%20Muslim%20Americans%2C%20India%u2019s%20National%20Register%20of%20Citizens%20and%20Kashmir%20featured%20in%20the%20list%20of%20threats%20to%20Muslim%20populations%20across%20the%20world.%20%u201CIn%20Kashmir%2C%20the%20Indian%20government%20should%20take%20all%20necessary%20steps%20to%20restore%20rights%20for%20all%20the%20people%20of%20Kashmir%2C%u201D%20said%20the%20campaign%20agenda.%20%u201CRestrictions%20on%20dissent%2C%20such%20as%20preventing%20peaceful%20protests%20or%20shutting%20or%20slowing%20down%20the%20Internet%2C%20weaken%20democracy.%u201D

Despite%20such%20strong%20words%2C%20the%20US%20stance%20on%20Kashmir%20is%20unlikely%20to%20alter%20with%20a%20change%20of%20guard%20in%20the%20White%20House%20for%20a%20variety%20of%20reasons%2C%20such%20as%20the%20need%20of%20the%20US%20to%20find%20a%20counterweight%20to%20China%20in%20the%20region%20and%20because%26nbsp%3B%20Indian%20markets%20remain%20important%20to%20American%20firms%2C%20including%20in%20the%20defence%20sector.%20Therefore%2C%20it%20might%20be%20a%20convenient%20option%20for%20the%20Biden%20Administration%20to%20use%20an%20organisation%20like%20Freedom%20House%20to%20level%20the%20charge%20that%20there%20had%20been%20a%20deterioration%20of%20political%20and%20civil%20liberties%20in%20India%20which%20necessitated%20its%20being%20downgraded%20to%20the%20%27partly%20free%27%20category.%20During%20closed-door%20meetings%20with%20the%20Indian%20side%2C%20such%20reports%20could%20be%20cited%20as%20instances%20of%20%27independent%27%20studies%20calling%20on%20India%20to%20undertake%20a%20course-correction.

Also%20read%3A%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/analysing-trumps-declassification-of-a-secret-strategic-document-on-indo-pacific%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EAnalysing%20Trump%27s%20declassification%20of%20a%20secret%20strategic%20document%20on%20Indo-Pacific%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

Another%20aspect%20that%20needs%20to%20be%20noted%20is%20that%20while%20Freedom%20House%20receives%20the%20bulk%20of%20its%20funding%20from%20the%20US%20Government%2C%20substantial%20amounts%20are%20also%20given%20to%20it%20by%20corporations%20and%20individuals–some%20having%20pro-Pakistan%20and%20anti-India%20credentials.%20For%20example%2C%20Farooq%20Kathwari%2C%20a%20known%20Kashmiri%20activist%20who%20is%20Chairman%20of%20the%20New%20York-based%20Kashmir%20Study%20Group%20is%20among%20the%20major%20donors%20of%20Freedom%20House%20and%20has%2C%20moreover%20served%20as%20its%20Trustee.%20He%20is%20a%20considerably%20wealthy%20person%2C%20being%20the%20Chairman%20and%20CEO%20of%20Ethen%20Allen%2C%20a%20leading%20manufacturer%20and%20retailer%20of%20home%20furnishings%20in%20the%20United%20States.%20Another%20prominent%20donor%20to%20Freedom%20House%20is%20the%20Irfan%20Kathwari%20Foundation%2C%20set%20up%20by%20Farooq%20Kathwari%20and%20named%20after%20his%20own%20son%20who%20died%20fighting%20in%20Afghanistan.

Simply%20put%2C%20the%20self-styled%20Freedom%20House%20report%20lacks%20objectivity%20and%20is%20serving%20the%20political%20agenda%20of%20some%20other%20forces.%20There%20is%20a%20need%20to%20look%20closely%20at%20all%20the%20major%20sources%20of%20funding%20of%20this%20organisation%20if%20we%20are%20to%20fully%20comprehend%20its%20functioning%20and%20its%20recent%20report.%26nbsp%3B

%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23FreedomHouse%22%20data-user-id%3D%22DDNotE7xH0JE%22%20href%3D%22/topic/freedomhouse%22%3E%23FreedomHouse%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Democracy%22%20data-user-id%3D%22ufeKfu3VJXg9%22%20href%3D%22/topic/democracy%22%3E%23Democracy%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23DelhiRiots%22%20data-user-id%3D%22ZQZ6x0c7SdMI%22%20href%3D%22/topic/delhi-riots%22%3E%23DelhiRiots%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23India%22%20data-user-id%3D%22Bq4MmUPrXF8p%22%20href%3D%22/topic/india%22%3E%23India%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B