Signature of the Convention Against Torture by India is an important milestone in the process of India's continued commitment to fundamental and human rights of all persons and directive principles of national policy. Ratification of the Convention is to follow. Yet, torture continues to be a part of the administrative system in many other parts of the world. It is a crisis that spans ideological, political and geographical boundaries.
Torture is rampant in South Asia and India is no exception.
On the contrary, with insurgency and violent conflicts increasingly afflicting many parts of India, torture has become a widespread practice. Over the last decade, there has been mounting evidence that torture has become an institutionalised practice within India. However, torture is not confined to areas affected by insurgency. It happens regardless of the political persuasion of the party in power. Many hundreds if not thousands have died because of torture in the past decade.