There is serious requirement for the intervention of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to deal with human rights problems that come in front of everyone related to violence by the police and security forces, including extrajudicial killings, torture, rape, and corruption at all levels of government.
The world’s largest democracy is also single-minded by separatist violence, lifethreatening prison and police custody conditions, sex trafficking, environmental destruction and a general environment of impunity. A large percentage of population live in poverty, and women, children (especially the girl child), religious minorities, Dalits, Adivasis, and members of the LGBT community face discrimination and violence and physically and mentally challenged person often have no choice to decent employment and/or sufficient treatment.
This is the real fact and very hard to deny that a large number of exploitations of human rights occur as a consequence of a mindset of ‘superiority’ and ‘privilege’. This is often a result of upbringing, as individuals have learnt from the society itself to compare themselves with people of different status or identity as they believe they are ‘different’ and ‘superior’ to others.
There are other issues exist related to sustainable livelihood as well as social and political involvement of vulnerable groups. Even administrative authorities have failed to guarantee rights to the common people and people belonging to vulnerable groups are mostly unable to have equal access to their rights.
To constantly review and uphold the available safeguards for human rights protection, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) have been set up across the world. They do so through the authorities permitted to them that include monitoring human rights violations, advising their governments on pertinent human rights concerns, establishing and maintaining relations with other regional and international organisations, promoting human rights education, while exercising their quasijudicial powers. In order to implement these authorities, NHRIs have been provided a clearly defined and broad-based order, including all human rightscivil, political, social, cultural and economic.
The NHRC deal with the activities related to human rights in India, and has the authorities of a Civil Court while looking into cases of human rights violations. After completion of its investigation in a case, the Commission advises to the concerned authority to initiate actions against those responsible for human rights violations. Usually, in almost all cases recommended by the Commission, concerned government authorities take the initiatives to investigate and compile report in cases of human rights violations but because of the non-binding nature of commission’s recommendations, it raises a kind of sentiment that such bodies are usually ineffective in bringing right results on the ground. This requires urgent attention and change.
Constant efforts have to be made towards consolidating the rights which have been achieved through a lot of pain and struggle over centuries. Combined effort of individuals, communities and even governments are important to fight against the abuses of human rights.
In future for human rights, the nature and quality of national-level legislations, policies and execution mechanisms will be the crucial factors. The responsibility of the State would be to make sure of the universal access to human rights, guarantee a life of self-respect, and equal access to various public goods and services are further emphasised by international human rights conventions, to many of which India is a signatory.
The base of the development of the nation should be on the objective of securing human dignity and assuring fundamental human rights to all. It is not possible for any police station, commission or court to monitor every nook and corner of the country to prevent human rights abuses so it is at last up to the citizens of this country to treat each other as equals. It is our responsibility to inculcate a human rights culture in our neighbourhood. In addition, we also need to remember our duties as declared in Article 51A of the Constitution. There are many human rights institutions but still there exist violations of human rights across the whole world. There is, therefore, some sting, which is very true in the cynic’s lament that ‘the only thing universal about human rights is their universal violation’.
On the 66th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) this year, revelations of mass human rights violations have raised the question regarding the commitment of governments in guaranteeing the protection of fundamental rights and highlighted the need for greater responsibility.
Globally, this year is the witness of various human rights violations for example executions, amputations, and lashings by terrorist groups, assassination of captured belligerents by governments, violations and crimes committed during clashes, among other egregious rights abuses.
Still, a large number of countries just talk about democracy but in reality mock the rights important to democratic rule. This requires deep contemplation as it directly impacts the life of individuals.
Pointless to state, governments which secure human rights are stable, more committed, and able to contribute to and strengthen international peace and harmony while countries which are ineffective in safeguarding and promoting human rights will in the long run face economic deficiency and international seclusion
The true test of ‘good governance’ is the extent to which it fulfils the promise of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. Thus, the key yardstick to evaluate effective governance is by knowing if public institutions are effectively providing rights in the form of right to health, housing, food, education and justice along with effective safety in the country.