New Delhi, October 17th, 2011
The National Human Rights Commission organized a national consultation in New Delhi today for preparing a report on the human rights situation in the country for the Second Universal Periodic Review of all the United Nations' member states. This review mechanism created on the 15th March, 2006 by the UN General Assembly is done once every four years to ensure universal coverage of human rights and fulfilment of related obligations. The NHRC had presented its first report for Universal Periodic Review to the UN Human Rights Council in the year 2008.
Several issues relating to the status of the economic, social, political, cultural rights and rights of women and children were discussed during the day long national consultation. The lack of effective implementation of various laws on the human rights dominated the discussions.
Addressing all the stakeholders, Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC said that India has a very good record as far as implementation of International Covenants are concerned but there are still many problems relating to child labour, bonded labour, untouchability and gender bias among others. There are many Acts to take care of such issue, but what is lacking is that there is hardly any self working mechanism within various Acts for their effective implementation.
The NHRC Chairpeson stressed upon the need to classify the offences which could be considered as violation of human rights so that it is easy for the people to file complaints in the human rights courts which should be setup by all the states as per the Protection of Human Rights Act. He said that the states need to setup and strengthen the State Human Rights Commission.
Justice Balakrishnan observed that many a times, it is seen that for a problem an Act is created and the states tend to implement only the soft part of its provisions. He said that welfare measures taken up by the government agencies should be monitored as to how these are reaching to the people. A growth rate of 8-9% will be meaningful in projecting shining India in real sense only when the benefits of wealth generated out of it reach to the people at grass root level.
Referring to the demand for NHRC's intervention in repealing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Justice Balakrishnan said that the Commission would consider to look into this and also how much time more this needs to continue.
Members of the Commission, Mr. Justice B.C. Patel, Mr. Satyabrata Pal and Mr. P.C. Sharma, Mr. Harsh Mander, Member, National Advisory Council, Prof. Ranbir Singh, Vice Chancellor, National Law University, Delhi Mr. Milind Kothari, Representative, Working Group on Human Rights in India and UN, Dr. Pranab Sen, Principal Advisor, Planning Commission, Govt. of India, Representatives of various Union Ministries and several leading NGOs attended the National Consultation.