Wither human rights? Jalandhar city reels under gross violations

Rachna Khaira

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 9

While the world will celebrate the spirit of freedom by observing World Human Rights Day on December 10, the effective implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is still a dream than reality.

Violations exist in every part of the world, including Punjab. While observing World Human Rights Day, Jalandhar Tribune takes stock of the situation by highlighting some gross human rights violations reported from the city.

Right to life or sentenced death?

On July 22 this year, Sanjev Kumar, a daily wage labourer, accused the Civil Hospital staff of killing his prematurely born child due to his inability to pay Rs 200 as the incubator fee. He alleged that his child was diagnosed with jaundice and later shifted to the emergency ward and put on life-support system. He further alleged that the hospital staff demanded Rs 200 from him as electricity charges needed to run the incubator, failing which they immediately took the child away from the life-support system, causing his instant death.

Cases like this at government hospitals are not shocking to the city and its people. Frequently, reports come about people due to the malfunctioning of ventilators at the trauma centre, delay in providing treatment or even negligence by doctors. Although the city boasts of being the medical hub in the entire Asia for having the maximum number of hospitals, a majority of the people are unable to bear the expensive treatment of these private hospitals and cases like that of Sanjeev kumar prove that people here are still denied their right to life due to the ailing infrastructure in government hospitals.

Right to education or distorted vision?

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to school children on November 14, many children as young as seven, studying in various government schools, were seen hanging a key around their neck. When asked about this, they said that it was the key of their house which they had to manage along with their younger siblings after the school hours as their parents being away for work the whole day. Some children even revealed that while only they were enrolled in the school, their other siblings as old as one year also accompanied them to the school just to have the “afternoon mid-day meal”. With the impression of joining the school only to have the mid-day meal, one cannot dream of studying while sitting on torn carpets in open verandahs in most of the government schools during harsh winters.

Also, the Union Government‘s ambitious mid-day meal project has taken a toll in the district. Every day, reports were being heard of substandard meal being provided to these young children endangering their life. Surprisingly, even after numerous reports like this, the district administration has not lodged an FIR or got the NGO concerned booked for playing with the lives of lakhs of children studying in urban government schools till date.

Also, shortage of teachers and insufficient infrastructure in government schools like library, potable water and inadequate number of classrooms and toilets are causing severe child rights violations in the district. Despite Supreme Court guidelines, the state government failed to implement the Right To Education Act (2009) in the state, as till date, private schools are expressing their disagreement with it that would oblige them to admit at least 25 per cent students from the underprivileged and economically weaker sections.

Right to justice or right to oppress?

Sunita, mother of Gagan Deep, a resident of Gurunanak Pura, alleged that the police had given electric shocks to her minor son for making him confess other snatching incidents, which her son had not even committed. She alleged that her son was interrogated and given electric shocks. Such cases keep on cropping up every day from every nook and corner of the city.

While the Indian judiciary is considered as the highest temple to provide justice, the local police has almost razed its first step due to its way of filing the first information report (FIR). Although a majority of the people living in the city are migratory workers, during any eventuality like quarrels or medical negligence cases, they are not informed about the contents of the FIR written in official language Punjabi many times. It was observed that the complainant was made to sign the FIR without making him aware about the contents written in the report.

Also, policemen walking or riding a two-wheeler with accused tied with handcuffs are a common sight on roads. In a Civil writ petition 9650 of 2007 filed by human rights advocate Ranjan Lakhanpal, the Supreme court had directed all state police not to handcuff the accused or put fetters on under-trials when they are brought to the courts or are taken out of jail for any other purpose, except with the permission of the court/magistrate concerned. However, notwithstanding the above directions, the police authorities in the district appear to have continued the inhumane and improper practice of handcuffing the prisoners when they are taken out of the jail either for production before the courts or for medical treatment in the hospital.

NGOs fail to deliver

While many NGos claim to have been working on the issue, due to the lack of coordination with the district administration, they have failed to deliver the right result in the matter. Their role has been restricted to conducting awareness lectures or seminars on World Human Rights Day only. With so many violations also taking place in right to equality, information and freedom of expression, it seems the district will take at least a decade to observe the human rights day in its true spirit.