SSB adjudged winning team at Inter-CPO Debate Competition
on Human Rights
New Delhi, 8 December 2005
The Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) has been adjudged the overall winning team of this year's Inter-CPO debate competition on Human Rights organized jointly by the National Human Rights Commission and the Border Security Force. Eight teams from the SSB, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF and ITBP debated on the topic 'Can terrorism not be countered within the parameters of rule of law without sacrificing human rights' in both Hindi and English in the final conducted here yesterday.
The two-bench jury consisting of Shri Santosh Kumar, IPS (Retd.) and former Director General (Investigation), NHRC and Mr. Ram Mohan, former Principal Information Officer adjudged Ms. Renuka Mishra, IPS (SSB), Rect. L. Tomba, Assam Rifles and ASI (M) Ganesh Babu, CRPF as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners respectively in the English category with Inspectors Shailender Singh and S.P. Thakur of the BSF being jointly awarded consolation prizes.
In the Hindi category, the 1st position went to Constable Dinesh Ch. Deshwal, CRPF, 2nd position to Ms. Usha Sajwan, CO, SSB and 3rd position to Constable P. Lalji, BSF. S.I. Avedesh Singh, ITBP was declared as winner of the consolation prize.
The winners will be felicitated at the function being held by the NHRC on Human Rights Day, i.e. 10 December 2005.
The debate competition, which has been an annual event since 1996, is aimed at creating awareness on Human Rights within the central police organizations. It has seen enthusiastic participation over the years resulting it in now being held in three stages:- quarterfinals at the zonal level, semi-finals and the final in Delhi. The 16 participants who made it to the final drew upon their personal experiences while debating for and against the motion. Mention of TADA, POTA, Armed Forces Act, the terrorist attacks on Akshardham, the situation in Northeast, Jammu & Kashmir also found mention.
Earlier addressing the gathering the Chief Guest, Justice Y. Bhaskar Rao, Member, NHRC stressed that there is really no conflict between respect for human rights and combating terrorism. He said that International humanitarian law is a part of human rights law and is applicable even in armed conflict. The fundamental concepts of laws of war are based on the balance between military necessity and humanity, which includes proportionality of force used. He observed that no person who supports human rights could support terrorism, which is a grave violation of human rights. A balance should be struck between the enjoyment of freedoms and the legitimate concerns for national security, he said.
He stated that there is a need for systemic reforms to improve the image and performance of the enforcement agencies with effective accountability to prevent misuse of public power. To combat terrorism in the true sense, he said, the strategies adopted must not be confined merely to identification of terrorists and their elimination by revenge, but must extend to diagnosis of the malady and finding a permanent cure. He also emphasized that there is a need to identify the causes for the rise in the phenomenon of terrorism. As effective strategies to combat terrorism, he suggested that good governance ensuring realization of the constitutional promise of promoting socio-economic justice, eradicating causes which give rise to a genuine sense of injustice must be seriously addressed. A genuine sense of injustice harboured by the marginalized must be effectively addressed.
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The Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) has been adjudged the overall winning team of this year's Inter-CPO debate competition on Human Rights organized jointly by the National Human Rights Commission and the Border Security Force. Eight teams from the SSB, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF and ITBP debated on the topic 'Can terrorism not be countered within the parameters of rule of law without sacrificing human rights' in both Hindi and English in the final conducted here yesterday.
The two-bench jury consisting of Shri Santosh Kumar, IPS (Retd.) and former Director General (Investigation), NHRC and Mr. Ram Mohan, former Principal Information Officer adjudged Ms. Renuka Mishra, IPS (SSB), Rect. L. Tomba, Assam Rifles and ASI (M) Ganesh Babu, CRPF as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners respectively in the English category with Inspectors Shailender Singh and S.P. Thakur of the BSF being jointly awarded consolation prizes.
In the Hindi category, the 1st position went to Constable Dinesh Ch. Deshwal, CRPF, 2nd position to Ms. Usha Sajwan, CO, SSB and 3rd position to Constable P. Lalji, BSF. S.I. Avedesh Singh, ITBP was declared as winner of the consolation prize.
The winners will be felicitated at the function being held by the NHRC on Human Rights Day, i.e. 10 December 2005.
The debate competition, which has been an annual event since 1996, is aimed at creating awareness on Human Rights within the central police organizations. It has seen enthusiastic participation over the years resulting it in now being held in three stages:- quarterfinals at the zonal level, semi-finals and the final in Delhi. The 16 participants who made it to the final drew upon their personal experiences while debating for and against the motion. Mention of TADA, POTA, Armed Forces Act, the terrorist attacks on Akshardham, the situation in Northeast, Jammu & Kashmir also found mention.
Earlier addressing the gathering the Chief Guest, Justice Y. Bhaskar Rao, Member, NHRC stressed that there is really no conflict between respect for human rights and combating terrorism. He said that International humanitarian law is a part of human rights law and is applicable even in armed conflict. The fundamental concepts of laws of war are based on the balance between military necessity and humanity, which includes proportionality of force used. He observed that no person who supports human rights could support terrorism, which is a grave violation of human rights. A balance should be struck between the enjoyment of freedoms and the legitimate concerns for national security, he said.
He stated that there is a need for systemic reforms to improve the image and performance of the enforcement agencies with effective accountability to prevent misuse of public power. To combat terrorism in the true sense, he said, the strategies adopted must not be confined merely to identification of terrorists and their elimination by revenge, but must extend to diagnosis of the malady and finding a permanent cure. He also emphasized that there is a need to identify the causes for the rise in the phenomenon of terrorism. As effective strategies to combat terrorism, he suggested that good governance ensuring realization of the constitutional promise of promoting socio-economic justice, eradicating causes which give rise to a genuine sense of injustice must be seriously addressed. A genuine sense of injustice harboured by the marginalized must be effectively addressed.
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