The National Human Rights Commission, in collaboration with the Indian Law Institute, organised a day-long Workshop for media persons on 'Media and Human Rights: issues and Challenges' on the 19th December, 2013 at Indian Law Institute, New Delhi. Inaugurating the Workshop, Justice Shri K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC, lauded the role of media in helping the Commission for protection and promotion of human rights and building awareness about these rights. He said that the aim of such workshops is to further orient the media persons towards reporting on human rights violations and raising concerns about the same so that effective remedial actions could be taken.
He said that the Commission has taken so motu cognizance of many issues of human rights violations on the basis of media reports. However, subsequently, in some cases it also came to light that the contents therein were not fully correct. He appealed to the media persons that given the importance attached by society to their work, they should make sure that their reports are authentic. Justice Balakrishnan said that problems relating to malnutrition, gender insensitivities and crime against women were some of such serious issues, which needed to be reported by media. He said that through media, people can be made more aware about the amendments brought in the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Indian Evidence Act, and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, through the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013.
Referring to the Communal Violence Bill, the NHRC Chairperson said that if it is passed by Parliament in its present form, the Commission will have to share a huge responsibility for which its present capacity in terms of staff and infrastructure will not be sufficient. However, he said that the Commission was prepared to take the responsibility in the right spirit. Justice Balakrishnan said that the NHRC is a recommendatory body as per the provisions of Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, but its recommendations are respected and implemented by the Governments in most of the cases.
Earlier, Prof. Manoj Kumar Sinha, Director, Indian Law Institute and Shri J.S. Kochher, Joint Secretary, NHRC also spoke on the occasion. They highlighted the importance of human rights, role of media and the vast issues of human rights violations looked into by the NHRC encompassing civil, political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Later, in the First Technical Session, Shri Jaimini Kumar Srivastava, I&PRO, NHRC spoke on the 'Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, NHRC and Role of Media' and in the Second Technical Session, Dr. Savita Bhakhry, DS (R), NHRC spoke on the 'Media's Role in Championing Child Rights'.