When most people hear the phrase “human rights,” they eitherthink of something vaguely international or national, like torture, genocide orsexual assault. They think of somethingso lofty and idealistic which has no relevance to their day-to-day living. Human rights, in fact, play a part in virtuallyall aspects of our day to day life. Oneway to begin to understand the importance of human rights is to look atsignificant aspects of your living. Yourrelationship with people around you, your work or economic circumstances, andthe government authorities responsible for serving and protecting you.
Every child born has a right to grow and develop to his orher full potential. Young men and womenlooking out for a job have a right to decent employment. Every worker has a right to fair and justwages. Citizens of any state have theright to be protected from any harm or harassment that is aimed at them. Women have the right to be protected from anyform of violence both within and outside the house. People everywhere have the right to their safetyand security. Under no circumstances cananyone be subjected to torture of any other kind or cruel or degradingtreatment.
So human rights after all are not as lofty or vague as theyseem. But despite this, millions ofpeople world over are still living without their basic minimum rights. Children left to fend for themselves fromopen spaces and dustbins or who are made to work in households, hotels andrestaurants, is a gross violation on their rights. Discrimination on the basis of colour, religionor because you have a terminal sickness tatamounts to violence on anyindividual. An unwanted touch fromsomeone at your workplace is an assault on your human rights. When women are discriminated against as theweaker sex it is an attack on their human rights. When people have to sleep onhungry stomachs at bus stands, railway stations and in parks, it is a grossviolation of their human dignity.
The severe mental trauma due to severe humiliation undergoneby Assistant geologist Dattatraya Bhave that led to his suicide two months agois a case undoubtedly where his dignity and basic human rights weretrampled. It appears that Bhave was heldto be guilty even before initiating a trial. He was made to sit in a red plastic chair on the ground floor of thesouth Goa collectorate in full public gaze every single day after hissuspension. Till date there has been astoic silence on the Balli riots where two youth lost their lives. The government promised that thoseresponsible would be punished after inquiry. Except for a cheque of Rs. 1 lakh that was handed over to the next ofkin of the two tribals “ Mangesh Gaonkar and Dilip Velip who died in the riots,nothing concrete has happened till date so as to punish the guilty.
International Human Rights Day, which is celebrated onDecember 10 every year, presents an opportunity to members of the community tohighlight specific issues and advocate for the full enjoyment of all humanrights by everyone everywhere.
Thewriter a social scientist and lawyer has for decades as a Human RightsActivists espoused the cause of vulnerable sections of society
