Human rights violations root-cause of conflicts, terrorism: Justice Anand
Dr. Justice A.S. Anand, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission has said that systemic human rights violations are often the root cause of conflicts and terrorism and they pose a serious threat to humanity. Delivering the keynote address at the 28th All India Criminology Conference organized by Indian Society of Criminology and Department of Law, the Law School, University of Jammu on 16 February 2005, Justice Anand said that the battle against terrorism must be carried out in keeping with international human rights obligations and the basic tenets of the rule of law.
Addressing legal luminaries, law professionals, advocates and delegates at the Conference, Justice Anand stated that the cult of terrorism has been continuously striking at the very root of human rights of innocent people and the ruthless, barbaric and inhuman killing of innocent people are being carried out with a view not only to challenge the authority of the Government but to pose formidable challenge to the enjoyment of human rights. "When there is tyranny and widespread neglect of human rights and people are denied hope of better future, it becomes a fertile ground for breeding terrorism", he said.
He said that measures to combat terrorism must have a focus on human rights. "Since the spectra of terrorism has acquired a sinister dimension, the war against terrorism should be firm and relentless but it must be remembered that fundamental rationale of anti-terrorism measures has to be to protect human rights and democracy", he stated. The ever-growing fundamentalism in all its forms and manifestations are other factors leading to violation of human rights, he said.
Terming international terrorism as a modern form of warfare against liberal democracies, Justice Anand said "the goal of terrorists is to destroy the very fabric of democracy. The liberal democracies must acknowledge that international terrorism is a collective problem and unitedly combat it."
While referring to the Supreme Court judgement pronounced in the D.K. Basu v/s State of West Bengal case, Justice Anand said that state terrorism is no answer to terrorism.
On the occasion, the Indian Society of Criminologists conferred the prestigious Kumar Appa Reckless award to Justice Anand for his outstanding contributions in legal research, human justice and administration and teaching of law discipline.
The 3-day conference was sponsored by the Bureau of Police Research and Development, Union Ministry of Home Affairs and organized by Faculty of Law, Jammu University, the Law School, Jammu University and NSS, Jammu University.
Addressing legal luminaries, law professionals, advocates and delegates at the Conference, Justice Anand stated that the cult of terrorism has been continuously striking at the very root of human rights of innocent people and the ruthless, barbaric and inhuman killing of innocent people are being carried out with a view not only to challenge the authority of the Government but to pose formidable challenge to the enjoyment of human rights. "When there is tyranny and widespread neglect of human rights and people are denied hope of better future, it becomes a fertile ground for breeding terrorism", he said.
He said that measures to combat terrorism must have a focus on human rights. "Since the spectra of terrorism has acquired a sinister dimension, the war against terrorism should be firm and relentless but it must be remembered that fundamental rationale of anti-terrorism measures has to be to protect human rights and democracy", he stated. The ever-growing fundamentalism in all its forms and manifestations are other factors leading to violation of human rights, he said.
Terming international terrorism as a modern form of warfare against liberal democracies, Justice Anand said "the goal of terrorists is to destroy the very fabric of democracy. The liberal democracies must acknowledge that international terrorism is a collective problem and unitedly combat it."
While referring to the Supreme Court judgement pronounced in the D.K. Basu v/s State of West Bengal case, Justice Anand said that state terrorism is no answer to terrorism.
On the occasion, the Indian Society of Criminologists conferred the prestigious Kumar Appa Reckless award to Justice Anand for his outstanding contributions in legal research, human justice and administration and teaching of law discipline.
The 3-day conference was sponsored by the Bureau of Police Research and Development, Union Ministry of Home Affairs and organized by Faculty of Law, Jammu University, the Law School, Jammu University and NSS, Jammu University.