The 'stealing' of resource-rich land from minorities and marginalised sections for mega development and commercial projects has emerged as a major trend across the world,a UN independent expert said. Delivering a lecture on 'The plight of minorities through the eyes of the UN' organised by UNIC and Working Group on Human Rights in India and the UN (WGHR) here,Gay Mcdougall also voiced concern over reports of violence against minorities in many countries,including India. "This has become a major trend across the world. The minorities and other such communities having resource-rich land are being divested of their land for mega projects. rather we can say their land is being stolen. There are many actors involved,sometimes with some government complicity," the UN independent expert on minority issues said. She was responding to a question on whether the UN can prevent displacement of tribals and other communities due to mega projects by multinational corporations in India. McDougall,a US-based human rights lawyer,said the trend can be associated with globalisation of economy. She also touched on the issue of "entrenched poverty" among minorities and said in many cases,countries are recording their economic progress based on "aggregate" whereas the fact is that the poorest of the poor "have not moved an inch but the rich has become more well-off". Mcdougall noted that governments have the responsibility of acting against violence on the basis of religion and that UN conventions urge states to protect freedom of religion which even includes right to change one's religion. Asked at a question-answer session about violent attacks against minorities in India,she said such reports are "tragic". "These matters need to be raised at the international level. The UN actually has very few tools available but it can use diplomacy. The issues also get attention," she said. Mcdougall,who was one of the five international members of South Africa's independent electoral commission that organised the country's first non-racial elections,also pitched for dealing with the issue of under-representation of minorities in decision-making structure of countries. "In my own country we have an African-American President. But that is not enough. There should be representation of minorities in political structure. Societies flourish when all voices are heard." A participant from a human rights group also raised the issue of "UN's resistance" to raising of issues related to caste-based discrimination,specially at workplaces,she said due to "energetic" government lobbying the issue has not moved further but it should be raised. Earlier,Working Group on Human Rights convenor and the moderator of the programme,Miloon Kothari talked about the "worsening human rights situation" in India and touched on issues of displacement of tribals,communal riots and protests against laws like Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
