Awareness Workshop at Chamba
The National Human Rights Commission organized a Workshop on Human Rights Awareness & Facilitating Assessment of Enforcement of Human Rights at Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh from July 3 to 5, 2008.
The inaugural session brought out the objective of the program as to achieve better implementation of various welfare programs and to facilitate the State, District and local bodies' functionaries in carrying out their functions in a rights based perspective. The Workshop aimed at providing the Commission a first hand information of the situation on ground and help in formulating future strategies for better protection and promotion of human rights.
The Workshop was attended by various State and District level officers including Member SHRC, Secretary (Home) Government of HP, Secretary SHRC, representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions and NGOs.
In all, there were eight sessions during the three day Workshop. The first session on Sensitization was presided by the Chairperson, NHRC, Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu with panelist being Secretary General, NHRC, Director General (Investigation) NHRC, Joint Secretary (Training) NHRC, Member, Himachal Pradesh Human Rights Commission and Divisional Commissioner, Kangra. The panelists sensitized the meeting about various issues related to human rights and also the core issues like right to life, right to food, custodial justice, right to health including hygiene and sanitation, right to education, right to culture and protection of community assets and rights of SC, ST and other vulnerable sections of the society which formed the central theme of the workshop.
During the discussions a number of issues were raised which included -
Education and awareness were the key pillars for a healthy democracy. The Commission should consider incorporating Human Rights Education in the school syllabus, minimum up to class X; microhydel projects causing threat to environment and depriving people of access to water sources; problems faced by persons with disabilities and senior citizens like obtaining various documents from different authorities for getting benefits under available schemes; and prevalance of caste based discrimination.
The second session on right to life and its expanded interpretation and evaluation of measures to ensure the same, including responsibility of Government or Panchayat. The participants recommended that violators of Human Rights should be penalized and the Commission should be given power to execute and implement its decisions. The Chairperson pointed out that the Commission believes in a cooperative approach. Justice Babu said that the Commission seeks compliance of its recommendations rather than using coercion attached with execution of orders and this is more effective approach as complying authority complements the order with its tacit consent.
The issue of water pollution and adulteration in food commodities was also raised. The session on right to food and evaluation of measures taken to ensure the same, discussed the PDS and the Food Security system. During the discussions, the inability of the masses to get benefits of PDS in view of lack of purchasing power was brought to the fore. It was also pointed out that certain people had not received wages under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act for the work done during the year 2007-08.
Custodial Justice and evaluation of measures to ensure the same was the topic for the fourth session. The session aimed at sensitizing the police personnel and other concerned officers regarding adopting a more human approach in their working in order to bridge the existing gap between the officers and the society at large. The issue of co-operation between the officers and the public and the role played by the law enforcing authorities was discussed at length. The session was concluded by bringing out the changes already incorporated by the state government in police administration and the need for human rights sensitization programs for the concerned officers at different levels in the hierarchy.
The session on right to health, hygiene and sanitation and evaluation of measures to ensure the same aimed at sensitizing people about the adverse effect that unhygienic practices had on health and the role that the local bodies could play. The issue of lack of manpower, erratic drugs supply and insufficient infrastructure came out as a major concern. The problem of shortage of doctors and nursing staff which had been continuously pursued by the Commission with Medical Council of India, Nursing Council and Ministry of Health and Family welfare was also discussed.
The decision taken by the Nursing Council to start a nation-wide nurse practitioner course was informed to the participants. Some other issues discussed were - possibility of utilizing alternative system of medicines like Ayurvedic and Homeopathic; training villagers in paramedical services; continuously decreasing sex ratio in the district and a community awareness approach for addressing the issue; lack of awareness about health, hygiene and sanitation; lacunae existing in the Pre-Conception Pre-Natal Diagnostics Act; issue of contaminated water supply leading to water borne diseases.
For the sixth session, right to education and evaluation of measures to ensure the same was the topic. The session clearly focused on the importance of education as foundation for a progressive and knowledge based society, which should be viewed in the human rights perspective.The session discussed convergence and better implementation of the schemes like mid day meal, health care, sarva shiksha abhiyan etc. Concern was expressed about the quality of education. It was a unanimous view that the curriculum should contain lessons on moral values and human rights education along with duties of good citizens.
Keeping in view the tender age of a child and his/ her inability to get enforcement of the same in the event of violations, it was suggested that the Commission may look into this aspect and make suitable suggestions. The importance of public and private collaboration for providing quality education and other services was also mentioned.
The other two sessions were on right to culture and protection of community assets and evaluation of measures to ensure Human Rights of SC & ST communities and other vulnerable sections of society. The eighth session focused on filling the gap between general population and that of SC/ST in different areas. Special attention to vulnerable groups like the disabled, manual scavengers and women; release of fund at appropriate time in respect of disadvantaged groups to help them enjoy their rights and the difficulties faced by senior citizens.
The Workshop impressed upon the SHRC and State Government functionaries that human rights awareness programmes for field level functionaries may be replicated at district level for all functionaries by the local authorities and Panchayat/Municipal bodies. It was however, felt that SHRC should take a lead in this regard and NHRC would provide all the support.
The inaugural session brought out the objective of the program as to achieve better implementation of various welfare programs and to facilitate the State, District and local bodies' functionaries in carrying out their functions in a rights based perspective. The Workshop aimed at providing the Commission a first hand information of the situation on ground and help in formulating future strategies for better protection and promotion of human rights.
The Workshop was attended by various State and District level officers including Member SHRC, Secretary (Home) Government of HP, Secretary SHRC, representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions and NGOs.
In all, there were eight sessions during the three day Workshop. The first session on Sensitization was presided by the Chairperson, NHRC, Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu with panelist being Secretary General, NHRC, Director General (Investigation) NHRC, Joint Secretary (Training) NHRC, Member, Himachal Pradesh Human Rights Commission and Divisional Commissioner, Kangra. The panelists sensitized the meeting about various issues related to human rights and also the core issues like right to life, right to food, custodial justice, right to health including hygiene and sanitation, right to education, right to culture and protection of community assets and rights of SC, ST and other vulnerable sections of the society which formed the central theme of the workshop.
During the discussions a number of issues were raised which included -
Education and awareness were the key pillars for a healthy democracy. The Commission should consider incorporating Human Rights Education in the school syllabus, minimum up to class X; microhydel projects causing threat to environment and depriving people of access to water sources; problems faced by persons with disabilities and senior citizens like obtaining various documents from different authorities for getting benefits under available schemes; and prevalance of caste based discrimination.
The second session on right to life and its expanded interpretation and evaluation of measures to ensure the same, including responsibility of Government or Panchayat. The participants recommended that violators of Human Rights should be penalized and the Commission should be given power to execute and implement its decisions. The Chairperson pointed out that the Commission believes in a cooperative approach. Justice Babu said that the Commission seeks compliance of its recommendations rather than using coercion attached with execution of orders and this is more effective approach as complying authority complements the order with its tacit consent.
The issue of water pollution and adulteration in food commodities was also raised. The session on right to food and evaluation of measures taken to ensure the same, discussed the PDS and the Food Security system. During the discussions, the inability of the masses to get benefits of PDS in view of lack of purchasing power was brought to the fore. It was also pointed out that certain people had not received wages under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act for the work done during the year 2007-08.
Custodial Justice and evaluation of measures to ensure the same was the topic for the fourth session. The session aimed at sensitizing the police personnel and other concerned officers regarding adopting a more human approach in their working in order to bridge the existing gap between the officers and the society at large. The issue of co-operation between the officers and the public and the role played by the law enforcing authorities was discussed at length. The session was concluded by bringing out the changes already incorporated by the state government in police administration and the need for human rights sensitization programs for the concerned officers at different levels in the hierarchy.
The session on right to health, hygiene and sanitation and evaluation of measures to ensure the same aimed at sensitizing people about the adverse effect that unhygienic practices had on health and the role that the local bodies could play. The issue of lack of manpower, erratic drugs supply and insufficient infrastructure came out as a major concern. The problem of shortage of doctors and nursing staff which had been continuously pursued by the Commission with Medical Council of India, Nursing Council and Ministry of Health and Family welfare was also discussed.
The decision taken by the Nursing Council to start a nation-wide nurse practitioner course was informed to the participants. Some other issues discussed were - possibility of utilizing alternative system of medicines like Ayurvedic and Homeopathic; training villagers in paramedical services; continuously decreasing sex ratio in the district and a community awareness approach for addressing the issue; lack of awareness about health, hygiene and sanitation; lacunae existing in the Pre-Conception Pre-Natal Diagnostics Act; issue of contaminated water supply leading to water borne diseases.
For the sixth session, right to education and evaluation of measures to ensure the same was the topic. The session clearly focused on the importance of education as foundation for a progressive and knowledge based society, which should be viewed in the human rights perspective.The session discussed convergence and better implementation of the schemes like mid day meal, health care, sarva shiksha abhiyan etc. Concern was expressed about the quality of education. It was a unanimous view that the curriculum should contain lessons on moral values and human rights education along with duties of good citizens.
Keeping in view the tender age of a child and his/ her inability to get enforcement of the same in the event of violations, it was suggested that the Commission may look into this aspect and make suitable suggestions. The importance of public and private collaboration for providing quality education and other services was also mentioned.
The other two sessions were on right to culture and protection of community assets and evaluation of measures to ensure Human Rights of SC & ST communities and other vulnerable sections of society. The eighth session focused on filling the gap between general population and that of SC/ST in different areas. Special attention to vulnerable groups like the disabled, manual scavengers and women; release of fund at appropriate time in respect of disadvantaged groups to help them enjoy their rights and the difficulties faced by senior citizens.
The Workshop impressed upon the SHRC and State Government functionaries that human rights awareness programmes for field level functionaries may be replicated at district level for all functionaries by the local authorities and Panchayat/Municipal bodies. It was however, felt that SHRC should take a lead in this regard and NHRC would provide all the support.