Regional Consultation with NGOs of Southern Region
From the time that it was established, NHRC has giving special attention to encouraging the efforts of NGOs and voluntary organizations working for human rights. Over recent months, this effort found expression through the holding of regional consultations with NGOs, in Delhi and Bhubaneswar to begin with, and now in Chennai.
The Regional Consultation with Non-Governmental Organizations/Voluntary Institutions of the southern States of the country, engaged in the field of human rights, was organized by the Commission on 21 May 2002 in Chennai. Fifty-four NGOs from the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Pondicherry participated in the meeting. The purpose of this consultation was to share ideas and thoughts, identify areas for joint efforts involving the NGOs and NHRC in the promotion and protection of human rights.
The main issues discussed in the consultation were: networking between the NGOs and NHRC; the rising rate of suicides in Kerala, the political nature of appointments to the SHRCs, the Human Rights Courts, “fake encounters” and their investigation, bonded labour in southern India, problems being faced by organisations working at grass-root levels, relocation and rehabilitation of the displaced persons, corruption in public life, the right to information; rights of the child; prevalence of child marriage; lack of safe drinking water; rights of the disabled, rights of the tribals, gender justice, trafficking in children and women, eradication of untouchability, amendment of various laws, involvement of NGOs in the complaint-handling procedure of NHRC, priority areas in respect of which NHRC could help in having human rights consciousness with the help of NGOs specially in rural areas, human rights literacy and human rights education.
The Commission has also set-up a Core Group of NGOs with eminent representatives of NGOs as its members. The group endeavours to strengthen the mutual ties between NHRC and the NGO sector. While NHRC interfaces with NGOs on one hand, it also acts as an interface between NGOs and the Government on the other, in order to better advance the promotion and protection of human rights.
The Regional Consultation with Non-Governmental Organizations/Voluntary Institutions of the southern States of the country, engaged in the field of human rights, was organized by the Commission on 21 May 2002 in Chennai. Fifty-four NGOs from the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Pondicherry participated in the meeting. The purpose of this consultation was to share ideas and thoughts, identify areas for joint efforts involving the NGOs and NHRC in the promotion and protection of human rights.
The main issues discussed in the consultation were: networking between the NGOs and NHRC; the rising rate of suicides in Kerala, the political nature of appointments to the SHRCs, the Human Rights Courts, “fake encounters” and their investigation, bonded labour in southern India, problems being faced by organisations working at grass-root levels, relocation and rehabilitation of the displaced persons, corruption in public life, the right to information; rights of the child; prevalence of child marriage; lack of safe drinking water; rights of the disabled, rights of the tribals, gender justice, trafficking in children and women, eradication of untouchability, amendment of various laws, involvement of NGOs in the complaint-handling procedure of NHRC, priority areas in respect of which NHRC could help in having human rights consciousness with the help of NGOs specially in rural areas, human rights literacy and human rights education.
The Commission has also set-up a Core Group of NGOs with eminent representatives of NGOs as its members. The group endeavours to strengthen the mutual ties between NHRC and the NGO sector. While NHRC interfaces with NGOs on one hand, it also acts as an interface between NGOs and the Government on the other, in order to better advance the promotion and protection of human rights.