Rajnath urged to stop export of arms and ammunition to Israel
- August 2, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
Rajnath urged to stop export of arms and ammunition to Israel
Subject: Polity
Sec: Constitution
Context:
Any supply of military material to Israel would amount to a violation of India’s obligations under international humanitarian law and the mandate of Article 21 read with Article 51(c) of the Constitution of India, the letter addressed to Rajnath Singh states.
More on News:
- A group of 25 “concerned” citizens, which includes former judges, diplomats, activists, writers and economists, have written to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urging him to cancel licences for the export of arms and ammunition to Israel as it is in violation of India’s commitment under international law and the Constitutional mandate.
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has clearly ruled that Israel is in violation of obligations under the Genocide Convention and further that Israel is in illegal occupation of the occupied Palestinian territory.
- In light of these rulings, any supply of military material to Israel would amount to a violation of India’s obligations under international humanitarian law and the mandate of Article 21 read with Article 51(c) of the Constitution of India, the citizens noted. “We urge you, therefore, to cancel the concerned export licences and halt the granting of any new licences to companies supplying military equipment to Israel.”
- The letter refers to three Indian companies — Munitions India Ltd. (MIL) a defence public sector undertaking, Premier Explosives Ltd. (PEL) and the Hyderabad-based joint venture, Adani-Elbit Advanced Systems India Ltd.
Article 51 in Constitution of India: Article 51 is one of the Directive Principles of State Policy based on Liberal-Intellectual principles. It deals with the Promotion of international peace and security, encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration
Promotion of international peace and security
The State shall endeavour to—
(a) promote international peace and security;
(b) maintain just and honourable relations between nations;
(c)foster respect for international law and treaty obligations in the dealings of organised peoples with one another;
(d)encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration.
Laws and Regulations in India for Genocide?
- International Conventions:
- India does not have any domestic law on genocide, even though it has ratified the UN Convention on Genocide.
- India is a signatory to the UDHR and has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
- Indian Penal Code (IPC):
- The Indian Penal Code (IPC) provides for the punishment of genocide and related crimes, and sets out the procedures for investigation, prosecution, and punishment.
- Genocide has been defined as a crime under IPC Section 153B, which criminalizes acts that promote enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc. with the intent to cause riots or commit acts of violence.
- Constitutional Provisions:
- The Indian Constitution via Article 15 provides protection against discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth;
- Article 21 guarantees the right to life and personal liberty etc.
- Statutory Provisions:
- The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India was established in 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993.
- The act also provides for the establishment of State Human Rights Commissions.
- The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India was established in 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993.