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New Delhi : To mark the Silver Jubilee Year Celebration, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India celebrated its third event in the form of International Human Rights Conclave at the Ashok Hotel, New Delhi, on October 1, 2018. The inauguration opened with a rendition of the Vaishnav Jan – a song that best reflects the work and vision of Mahatma Gandhi. This was followed by the lighting of the lamp by the Chief Guest and Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu along with the NHRC Chairperson Justice H L Dattu, NHRC Member Justice P C Ghose.
Justice Dattu, Chairperson, NHRC, welcomed everyone to the international human rights conclave marking the 25 years of the pioneering work of NHRC in protection of human rights in India. He took the occasion to identify the various achievements in the past years and reflected on the important milestones highlighting the significant contributions of the NHRC in the field of mainstreaming human rights culture in the country. He also deliberated upon creating widespread awareness, sensitisation of the public and strengthening constitutional and legal provisions which thereby provide extensive system of checks and balances.
The chairperson identified poverty, gender inequalities, bonded labour, trafficking, displacement of refugees as some of the challenges to human rights protection. NHRC is a member of the Bureau of the Global Alliance of NHRIs(GANHRI) and has been accredited with ‘A’ status by GANHRI throughout its existence. Human development means widening and deepening the scope of freedoms available to all people without any exception, he said.
The Vice -President of India M Venkaiah Naidu said expressed that the protection of inalienable rights is the primary duty of the state. Human rights are seen as indispensible to meet the sustainable development goals by 2030. He mentioned that human rights include right to healthcare, food, education, business, issues of the youth and elderly etc. India has been a strong voice about HR globally. India follows a ‘Share and Care’ philosophy and is a signatory to many human rights conventions. He identified the growing role of the NHRC as the watchdog towards protection and redressal of violation of human rights.
Naidu said India is a huge and diverse country and consequently the numbers of complaints are many and the earnest efforts are being made by the NHRC in redressal of the same. He stressed on the fact that the legislations alone can’t ensure guarantee of human rights to each and every individual. The need of the hour is to take the changing demographic realities into consideration while concentrating on effective implementation. The United Nations and member countries must come together to address the problem of growing number of economic criminals and terrorists seeking refuge in other counties, he said. The exchange of fugitives and information between these stakeholders is an important tool to address this. The world must speak in one voice, he said, according to an NHRC release.
He appreciated the reservation for women provided in the local bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions in India which has resulted into positive change in the working of these institutions and has empowered the women.