OPINION: The Human Rights Day - 10th Dec.

Human rights are what each human being is entitled to allow her/his freedom to live a dignified and secured life of choice. We can understand the importance of human rights only when we are confronted with violations of our own rights. Human rights include rights related to the safety of the person, the right to be free from coercion by other individuals, groups or governments, the right to social benefits, rest and leisure, and the right to a good basic education. Equality is important for effective enforcement of human rights. All the citizens should be treated as equals, that all should get equal protection of law without any discrimination of caste and creed and all should get equal opportunity.

 As every year on 10th of December, The Human Rights Day is celebrated around the globe spreading a word that "All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms". So, it is equally important that 10th December being The Human Rights Day each year the Bar and the Bench authorities all over our country should celebrate and need to ensure and spread the awareness on Human Rights, amongst the citizens of India, that everybody has the right to have their voice heard and to have a role in making the decisions that shape their communities. As the preamble, Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution of India provide provisions for basic human rights for our people. As human rights emphasis is on human dignity, the basic principle of criminal justice administration is that an individual is presumed to be innocent till be contrary is proved against him. It was on this day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which has become a universal standard for defending and promoting human rights. Each one of us should be able to choose those people who will represent us in all governance institutions, to stand for public office, and to vote on the fundamental questions that shape our individual and collective destines.

Human rights means the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution. It is the need of hour to project the definition of Human Rights amongst the commons so that they should know their right for the cause of Human Rights, which happens to be the basic rights and freedoms that all humans should be guaranteed, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law and are necessary for freedom and the maintenance of a "reasonable" quality of life. If a right is inalienable, that means it cannot be bestowed, granted, limited, bartered away. The issue of which rights often include the right to life, the right to be prosecuted only according to the laws that are in existence at the time of the offence, the right to be free from slavery, and the right to be free from torture.

We have adequate provisions in our Constitution and other laws for safeguarding the violation of Human Rights. We have enough literature to spread Human Rights literacy among various sections of society, we hold seminars and symposium at regular intervals to promote awareness of the safeguards available for the protection of these Rights, yet the violation of these Rights are still prevalent in our society with impunity. Why? In my view focus on the ground reality is lacking and it is the need of hour that the authorities particularly the police department need to be very vigilant in respect of Human Rights issue as they live with the people, they know the plight and living conditions of downtrodden segments of our society more than anybody else. They can be the principal defenders of Human Rights. Field Officers of the Districts need to be sensitised with the Human Rights value and the perilous effects of it abuses. As respect of Human Rights of fellow citizen is one of the Fundamental duties of the citizen enumerated in Article 51'A' of the Constitution. 

Let us on this Human Rights Day pray for generosity for the whole mankind in our country for a better and peaceful land free from all vices, atrocities and utter violation of Human values and Rights in all its forms. 

*The author is and Advocate and former Additional Advocate General, Punjab.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of City Air News.)