10/12/2013 |
The Vice President addresses NHRCs HR Day Function: Stresses the need for a relook in the traditional approach of dealing with human rights |
The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, organised a special function in New Delhi to observe the Human Rights Day today, which marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the General Assembly of United Nations in 1948. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Mr. M. Hamid Ansari, Vice
President of India and the Chief Guest said that there is a gap between what
the official agencies project about the nature and extent of violation and what
is perceived to be the situation on the ground.
We do have a legal and institutional framework for protection and
promotion of human rights, but questions continue to arise with regard to their
efficacy in actual implementation.
The Vice President said that we, both
as a national and international responsibility, have an obligation to reduce
the gap between the principle and practice.
Violations are widespread, discrimination-based on religion, caste,
language, ethnicity, creed, work, dissent and economic status continues to
occur with disturbing frequency. Raising a debate on the human rights
and human wrongs, he said that the traditional approach to address the human
rights issues necessitates a relook. The requirement of justice cannot be
subject to political bargaining or the calculus of social interests. It is our duty and responsibility to give
voice to those who continue to suffer and strive to seek for them both relief
and justice. Debate on human rights is essentially
a top-down process, which often becomes politicized bringing the Human Rights
institutions, nationally and internationally, under pressure to endorse them. As a result, universal principles tend to be
invoked or overlooked selectively throughout the world. This is an issue, which was also pointed out
by the Human Rights Council in its report to the UN General Assembly, recently. The interests of individuals, who are
the beneficiaries of human rights in different sovereign States, often get
subordinated to the interests of the nations, who come under the influence of
the powerful among them in the community of nations, which is not of
equals. Therefore, the intent of the
Charter and the Universal Declaration is subsumed in the structural framework
of the international community.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Justice
K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC gave an overview of the various
activities
of the Commission in its effort to promote and protect human rights and
said
that despite such expansive range of activities by the Commission, there
remain
considerable challenges to the effective realization of human rights in
the country. He said that the NHRC has a significant role
to play but it can at best work as a catalyst in assisting efforts of
the
Governments, elected representatives, media and civil society towards
safeguarding the rights of common people. Justice Balakrishnan said that the
Governments must make certain that the policies and programmes devised by them
have a strong human rights component to ensure a truly beneficial and equitable
utilization of national and human resources.
It is the duty of each individual to respect the rights of the other and
to dedicate ourselves to achieve a just and equitable society as enshrined in
our Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On the occasion, Human Rights Day
message of the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon was read out by Ms. Kiran
Mehra-Kerpelman, Director, United Nations Information Centre in India. The
message emphasized upon all the Member States of the United Nations to fulfill
the promise they made at the Vienna Conference for Promotion and Protection of
Human Rights. On the occasion, the Vice President
also released a number of NHRC publications, which included, among others,
Manavadhikar Nai Dishayein, in Hindi; Journal on Human Rights in English;
NHRC and Human Rights Defenders: the Growing Synergy; Living Conditions and
Human Rights of Inmates in Prisons, in three volumes; Starvation, Malnutrition
and Malnutrition related Deaths of Children in 15 Tribal Districts of
Maharashtra, in two volumes; Report on the Implementation of the Persons with
Disabilities Act, 1995. A photo and
childrens painting exhibition was also mounted on the occasion highlighting
the activities of the Commission. Earlier, Dr. Parvinder Sohi Behuria,
Secretary General, NHRC welcomed all the guests and dignitaries. Highlighting the role of the NHRC, she said
that it is committed to the protection and promotion of human rights and the
growing number of complaints received it show peoples faith in it. Earlier in the morning, NHRC
Chairperson, Members, officers and staff took the human rights pledge in the
Commission premises. |
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