CURTAIN RAISER: HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, 2019 (09.12.2019)

New Delhi, 9th December, 2019

Human Rights Day is celebrated on the 10th December every year to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948 as the shared standard yard stick to protect human rights across the globe. The Declaration recognizes that the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of mankind are the foundation of justice, freedom and peace in the world. It reaffirms the faith of the people of United Nations in the fundamental human rights.

The United Nations’ theme for this year’s Human Rights Day is: “Youth Standing up for Human Rights.” This is aimed at encouraging youth all over the world under the generic call to action “Stand Up for Human Rights”. The youth will be celebrated as agents of change and encouraged to amplify their voices against racism, hate speech, bullying, discrimination, and fight for climate justice, among other issues, and engage a broad range of global audiences in the promotion and protection of rights.

The Commission has organized a function in New Delhi on Tuesday, the 10th December, 2019 to celebrate Human Rights Day. Mr. Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, will address the gathering as the Chief Guest. Mr. Justice H. L. Dattu, Chairperson, NHRC and former Chief Justice of India will also address the gathering and release NHRC journals and DVD of award winning short films on human rights.

Later in the evening, another function will be organized at Manav Adhikar Bhawan, New Delhi, to present NHRC short film awards-2019 to the three winners. They are:

Sh. Vishal Kumbhar for his film “Kumbhil Shiva”: 1st prize Rs. 1.00 lakh

Sh. Ernest Rosario P.B for his film “Transcender” : 2nd prize Rs. 75,000/-

Sh. Vijeendra Syam for his film “Gulp” : 3rd prize Rs. 50,000/-

During the last 26 years, since its inception on the 12th October, 1993, the Commission has endeavoured to promote a culture of human rights. The NHRC, like most of the human rights institutions in the world, is a recommendatory body as per the Protection of Human Rights Act passed by Parliament. But this provision has not come in the way of most of the recommendations of the Commission being accepted by the Governments resulting in the trust and confidence of the people in it. This reflects in the increasing number of complaints it has been receiving every year.

Apart from looking into the complaints of the human rights violations, the Commission’s functions also include reviewing safeguards provided under the Constitution or any Law, make recommendations for effective implementation of International Conventions/Covenants, undertake research and organize seminars and discussion programmes on human rights issues, spread awareness about human rights and encourage efforts of non-governmental organizations towards promotion of human rights.

It has made a number of interventions on key issues of human rights, which include, among others, issues of bonded and child labour, prison reforms, right to health, mental healthcare, rights of persons with disabilities, silicosis, illegal clinical drug trials, pesticides in food items, pricing of drugs, corporate-social responsibility, manual scavenging and sanitation, human rights of women.

Beside taking cognizance of human rights violations and conducting enquiry into them, the NHRC is also mandated for creating an enabling atmosphere as a preventive mechanism to check incidents of human rights violations. For this, it has been consistent with its efforts to increase awareness about the importance of promotion and protection of human rights through workshops, seminars, conferences, internships, open forum discussions, open hearing and camp sittings, moot court competitions, debate competitions for para- military forces, human rights short film competition.

The NHRC, India continues to hold ‘A’ status accreditation with the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, GANHRI. The Commission is a founder Member of Asia Pacific Forum and is valued for its contribution in the deliberations at various international forums on the issues of Human Rights violations. Recently, the NHRC India intervened in the 22nd Session of an International conference of NHRIs in Geneva on the rights of the disabled persons. The Chairperson Mr. Justice H.L. Dattu NHRC India has been given the responsibility to Chair a Committee to look into the international laws, treaties and related documents so that the existing domestic laws could be updated as per the international standards in the respective countries of the NHRIs.

This year, the Commission has taken several new initiatives to expand its outreach. It has linked its online complaint filing system with over three lakh Common Service Centres spread in various parts of the country. This is helping people in far flung areas to file their complaints quickly. It has started the services of NHRC Toll Free Helpline number 14433. Beside upgrading and updating its website, it has opened HRCNet portal, thereby providing a common platform to NHRC and all the State Human Rights Commissions. This will help reduce the duplication of complaints and also easy tracking of the status of the complaints. The State authorities can also file online reports to the NHRC using this portal to avoid delay in providing relief to the victims of human rights violations. This year, the Commission also started video conferencing with the State authorities to expedite disposal of cases.

Another important initiative of the Commission this year has been that it is proposing to set up a task force to prepare a National Action Plan on Human Rights( NAPHR) comprising the representatives of various Ministries, NGOs, Civil Society and the NHRC among the other stakeholders. This will help flag the key issues of human rights for the government(s), which would require to be addressed with a targeted approach to improve the human rights situation in the country through a sustained mechanism.

The National Human Rights Commission, consistent with its mandate under Section 12 (h) of the Protection of Human Rights Act to spread human rights awareness and literacy, opened a dialogue with NCC, NSS, NYKS, Red Cross, All India Radio and Doordarshan this year as a new initiative. The idea is to collaborate with them for building awareness about human rights through their vast networks. Some proposals regarding these collaborations are in the pipeline.

The Commission has set up a focal point for Human Rights Defenders and continues to engage with the NGOs, civil society representatives and Human Rights Defenders for the betterment of Human Rights in the society. Open forum discussions, this year, have been very useful for this purpose. Its mechanism of core groups of various experts and NGOs, Special Monitors and Special Rapportures is also very effectively helping in an assessment of Human Rights situation in various parts of the country and making suitable recommendations to the government. The Commission is also actively considering the issues of Human Rights which could be taken up by the Human Rights Courts.

The Commission has sponsored various research studies by eminent scholars attached with various institutions. Some of the most recent include, among others, research study on farm crisis and suicides by farmers, Study on the status of Human Rights education in colleges and universities, Human Rights of transgender, Rights to Education related issues of migrated labourers in Kerala, Rights of domestic workers etc.

Going by the popularity of its month long winter and summer internships, particularly among the post graduate level students of law and social sciences background, and the demand for more such programmes, the Commission, from this year, started a structured monthly programme of 15 days Short Term Internships. This is opened for students of all the disciplines even at graduation level. Colleges and universities, running human rights course particularly, have been asked to include internship with NHRC as part of their curriculum. Several students from different parts of the country have attended the short term internships since July this year. The Commission has also expanded its sponsorship programmes of human rights awareness workshops. The visits by students, academicians, trainee police, judicial, prison and administrative officers for a day long human rights awareness programme have also increased.

Disposal of more than 18 lakh cases, payment of more than 176 crore rupees as relief to the victims of human rights violations by various state agencies on the recommendations of the Commission, about 800 spot enquires, about 50 open hearings and camp sittings covering the length and breadth of the country, reviews and comments on over 40 bills and legislations, conduct of more than 200 seminars, conferences and workshops, about 29 month-long internships, hundreds of attachment programmes, sponsored awareness trainings through various institutions and NGOs, several short films on human rights issues, more than 90 publications, besides about 26 volumes of more than 300 monthly Newsletters in English and Hindi, hundreds of media reports etc bear a testimony to the NHRC, India's multi-dimensional work for the cause of human rights during the last 26 years.

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