NHRC celebrates Human Rights Day

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC organized a function to celebrate human rights day in New Delhi on the 10th December, 2015. Addressing a gathering as the Chief Guest of the function, Justice Shri T.S. Thakur, Chief Justice of India lauded the role being played by the Commission in its endeavour towards the protection and promotion of human rights. He said that judiciary was not lagging behind in enforcing human rights and cited a number of cases wherein its interventions not only brought relief to the victims of human rights violations but also issues like clean environment and drinking water as enforceable rights within the ambit of Right to Life. He said that some of the human rights should be placed a pedestal higher than the constitutional rights.

Justice Thakur said that it is time that Parliament revisited the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 to make it more effective towards empowering the Human Rights Commissions in a manner that, if not all, to begin with, at least some of their recommendations are binding for the Governments. He was reacting to the NHRC Acting Chairperson, Justice Shri Cyriac Joseph's observation that 679 recommendations of the Commission were not implemented by the different Governments and that many termed it to be a toothless or paper tiger.

Justice Thakur said that when a recommendation for a relief is made by a body like NHRC, having a former Chief Justice of India as its Chairperson and other Members of eminence and high standing, the least the Governments must do is to give a reasonable answer why they cannot implement it.

Observing that there were a number of deficiencies in the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, Justice Thakur said that these needed to be looked into. He pointed out that Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 has given the Governments mandate to set up Human Rights Courts but in order to make them functionally effective, it is necessary to identify some definite class of cases pertaining to offences against women, children and vulnerable sections of the society which can be heard by these Courts on a fast track basis.

Justice Thakur wondered why a city like Delhi should not have a Human Rights Commission. He said that the Supreme Court had given six months' time in July, 2015 to the Delhi Government to set up a Human Rights Commission and a response was awaited.

Earlier, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, as a Guest of Honour, said that India is committed to protection and promotion of human rights and is party to several international Covenants on human rights. He also agreed with the concerns raised by the NHRC Acting Chairperson and said that Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 needed to be reviewed.

Justice Shri Cyriac Joseph, Acting Chairperson, NHRC, in his Presidential Address said that the protection of human rights is an obligation of the State. In this connection, the Judiciary, Legislature and Executive have to play an equal role. He also said that the judiciary was better placed than the Human Rights Commissions to protect human rights as their orders were binding unlike those of the Commissions. He said that Parliament, in its wisdom, thought it best to make Human Rights Commissions recommendatory bodies, though after a period of 22 years of NHRC's existence and experience, it was desirable to make its recommendations binding.

Giving an insight into the various features of the Commission's activities towards promotion and protection of human rights during the last 22 years of its existence, Justice Cyriac Joseph said that it registered more than 15 lakh 42 thousand cases out of which more than 14 lakh 84 thousand were disposed. It has recommended monetary relief of more than Rs. 102 crore 20 lakh in 4328 cases. Out of this, in 3649 cases, more than Rs. 74 crore 52 lakh were paid to the victims or their dependents. He lauded the role of Human Rights Defenders towards protection and promotion of human rights.

On the occasion, the message of Mr. Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General, on Human Rights Day, was read out by Ms. Kiren Mehra Kerpelman, Director, UNIC - India & Bhutan. In the message, he said that "Amid large-scale atrocities and widespread abuses across the world, Human Rights Day should rally more concerted global action to promote the timeless principles that we have collectively pledged to uphold."

The Commission added some new features to its Human Rights Day celebrations this year. These included, among others, competitions for short films on human rights and paintings by visually impaired children. Prizes were given to the winners of the Short Film competition. 'The Rice Mill Story' by Mr. Amith Krishnan, got first prize of rupees one lakh, 'Sapno Ka Basar' by Aditya Kapur, second prize of Rs. 75 thousand and 'Kulfi' by Vivek K.R., third prize Rs. 50 thousand. These films were also screened.

The winners of the painting competition for visually impaired children, who were given prizes, included, Master Harsh Keshari, first prize of rupees 10 thousand, Kumari Elem, second prize of rupees eight thousand and Kumari Bhawana, third prize of rupees six thousand in the age group of 5 to 12 years. In the age group of 12 to 18 years, first prize of rupees 10 thousand went to Kumari Sanjana, second prize of rupees eight thousand went to Master John Moses and third prize of rupees six thousand went to Kumari Vandana Gupta.

Justice Thakur also opened NHRC's photo and children's paintings exhibition, including those by the visually impaired children, showcasing its journey since the last Human Rights Day. He also released five publications of the NHRC, including a Trilingual Glossary of Human Rights Terms in English - Malayalam - Hindi.

Several prominent dignitaries, including, among others, Judges of Supreme Court, High Courts, former Judges of Supreme Court, High Courts, UN representatives, diplomats, senior Government functionaries, civil society representatives, groups of specially privileged children, members of Para Military Forces, NHRC officers and staff attended the function.

Another first time feature to this year's Human Rights Day celebration by the NHRC was the live coverage of its programme on Doordarshan.