http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1524610.cms
WASHINGTON: India emerged as the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s elections to the newly established UN Human Rights Council, a massive victory that is seen to augur well for New Delhi’s bid for a permanent Security Council seat.
In what was described as the largest-ever polling exercise in the UN, India won 173 out of 191 votes in a secret ballot to elect the 47-member Council. It was the biggest tally for any country, surpassing Japan (158) and China (146) in Asia.
“It is a vindication of India’s long history and tradition of democracy and plurality, for the kind of international causes we have straddled,” a delighted Nirupam Sen, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, told TNN. “It shows that we can mobilise not just two-thirds but even three-fourths of the world as we move towards the larger objective of a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.”
The new Human Rights Council replaces the 60-year old, largely discredited Human Rights Commission, which was elected by a smaller 54-nation Economic and Social Council and most contenders ran unopposed after nomination by regional blocs.
The Commission was disbanded after a number of countries with dubious human rights records manipulated elections to win seats and began to work as a bloc to defeat resolutions critical against any one of them.
Not that this election was without flaws. The US initially opposed even this Council and declined to run for a seat citing inadequate correctives. But it participated in the process that at least expanded the election process to involve all 191 members and set a benchmark of at least 96 votes (50% votes) to win a seat on the Council.
Despite this, several habitual rights abusers won seats. The New York-based Human Rights Watch identified Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China, Cuba and Russia among the worst elected. Much to Washington’s delight, Iran and Venezuela failed to win a seat on the Council.
Separately, the human rights group UN Watch published a list of 28 countries it described as human rights abusers unfit to sit on the council. The General Assembly voted for 17 of these countries, including Cuba, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China and Indonesia. The six are also among those designated as “not free” by the democracy watchdog Freedom House.
Despite such infamy, Pakistan rejoiced at being elected with 146 votes, a third of which came from the Islamic bloc.
While a victory by such a huge margin and unsullied by any strictures will be gratifying for India, a seat on the Council will bring its own responsibility.
The Council will be required to conduct a regular review of the human rights record of all countries beginning with those serving on it. Sen said India was ready for it, pledging to make the newly established forum a strong, effective and efficient body “capable of protecting fundamental freedoms across the world.”
The Council will have its first sitting in Geneva on June 19.
good one!
since when were Gujarat massacre seens as Pakistani terrorism? Maoists as Pakistani violence? Come’on, don’t use your hate to write every violence/violation to Pakistan’s name 
, you are proving to be worse than Modi now.