Ashwini K.P.

Ashwini was born in Chikkaballapur near the city of Kolar. She is from the low marginalised Hindu caste known as the dalits and her parents were V Prasannakumar and Jayamma.^[1]

Her higher education started studying history, Economics and Political Science at Bangalore's Mount Carmel College. She graduated and went on to obtain a master's degree from St. Joseph's College in Political Science. She then took her doctorate in New Delhi in South Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University.^[2]

She was one of three candidates who were considered for the role of the United Nations Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur at a meeting in October 2022 in Geneva. The Human Rights Council decided to appoint her as the first Indian to the role - which lasts for six years from 1 November. She is in charge of any investigations she may make into a wide range of xenophobic discrimination. She has a mandate to look into racial intolerance wherever she decides in the world.^[1] These Special Rapporteur experts are appointed by the United Nations and they are unpaid. In 2023 there were 60 of these experts.^[3]

As part of a two-week tour of the United States she met a number of leaders and marginalised groups.^[4] She attended the World Jewish Congress where she was presented with evidence of an increase in antisemitism.^[5] The WJC's lead has seen a rise in holocaust denial on social media. In one report it was said that 50% of holocaust posts on Telegram were denying or distorting the holocaust.^[6] Ashwini said that she would include this subject in her report in 2025.^[5] At the end of the American tour she accused some people of "selective amnesia" by not realising that racial discrimination was still a problem.^[4]