India–Pakistan Human Rights Imbroglio in Geneva

You were India’s Permanent Representative (PR) at Geneva from 1992 to 1995, a momentous period for India. As PR, you faced a number of challenges vis-à-vis Pakistan, which tried to capitalise on fault lines in India, particularly in the aftermath of the destruction of the Babri Mosque as well as the Bombay (now Mumbai) riots. Could you take us through your experience at that time, the international atmosphere, and also how India was being viewed abroad?

Yes, as you said, it was a momentous period. I was in Geneva from October 1992 to around June 1995. During this period Pakistan sought to introduce a Kashmir-related resolution against India in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR). The first attempt to introduce such a resolution was undertaken in 1993 at the 49th session of the UNCHR and the exercise was repeated at its 50th session in 1994. Each of these sessions spanned a period of six weeks…….