Human Rights Watch sent the new Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir a letter on February 9, 2009.

We write to express deep concern regarding the Orissa Home Department’s plan to recruit an estimated 2,000 tribal youth as special police officers (SPOs) to counter Naxalite violence in the region. In particular, we are concerned about the use of SPOs for paramilitary purposes, and the possibility that children under the age of 18 may be recruited in violation of the Home Department’s stated age limits.

Human Rights Watch urged the Indian government to take immediate steps to implement the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) resulting from its recent inquiry on human rights abuses by parties to the conflict in southern Chhattisgarh state.

I am writing on behalf of Human Rights Watch to express our concern over reports that suggest an organized police campaign against hijras, as well as rights defenders associated with hijra communities, may be underway in Bangalore.

In a letter, Human Rights Watch, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and the Dalit Freedom Network appealed to world leaders to immediately call for an end to the sectarian violence in Orissa state, in eastern India. The letter has been sent to the European Commissioner for External Relations, the French Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, the UK Foreign Secretary, and the US Secretary of State.

Human Rights Watch urges Sonia Gandhi to prevent the amendments being brought to the ITPA that criminalize the clients or buyers of sexual services.

Human Rights Watch sent a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India about the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), which the Indian parliament passed in 1976 during a state of emergency, and a proposed new bill, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Bill, 2006 (FCRB).

Human Rights Watch writes to note several important steps recently taken by the government of India towards improving protection for children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. We nevertheless remain deeply concerned about the effect on children in India of widespread discrimination against people affected by HIV/AIDS.