Need to advocate human rights
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 10
The Centre for IAS and other Competitive Examinations, Panjab University (PU), organised a panel discussion on the theme ‘Human Rights: Theory and Practice’ to commemorate Human Rights Day on Wednesday.
PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Arun Grover underlined the liberating role of science and technology in the modern world. “Thanks to the information-technology revolution, we live in an information era and awareness about our rights has been universalised in our inter-connected world. The deprived ones have got the mode to voice their concerns and there is a global support for rights concern,” he added.
Dr Ashutosh Kumar raised questions on the non-fulfillment of substantive rights, particularly those that concern social and economic rights, despite the Constitution providing for civil, political and social rights.
”The issue is important because under the democratic form of governance that we have, state is not only expected to respect the civil rights but also take social responsibility for the marginal ones by resorting to affirmative actions.”
Discussing Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi, he referred to the need to take up the cause of children as they are voiceless but their rights are not so much on the human rights radar.
Professor Ujjwal K Singh took up the cause of the prisoners, under-trials and convicted ones who have been languishing in jail for years without the legal trial process being completed and received inhuman treatment.
He also spoke against the death conviction, as a right to life is an intrinsic right of every human being. Praising the Constitution of India, he said there was a critical need to imbibe the letter and spirit of the Constitution by the ones entrusted with working the state institutions and legal system.
Dr Rakesh Thakur drew peoples’ attention to the plight of another marginal community, particularly HIV patients, who remain voiceless and subjected to social stigma. He said there was a need to change the mindset.
