“Human right is the right to be a human. There are people who have made human rights violation their ideology. This is very dangerous. When wrongdoings are sanctified, it becomes even more dangerous. We were supposed to live with unity but now slogans are being raised for uniformity. Is uniformity possible in a plural society?” The statement was made by Mr. Nusrat Ali, Vice President Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, while presiding over a symposium organised by the Jamaat at its headquarters to observe Human Rights Day on 10 December.
Ali further said, in the absence of human rights there will be hardly any difference between human beings and animals. Human beings have got this right from the Almighty since birth; people recognised it and preserved it. We will build our nation united but with our own identity. If diversity is not there, the country cannot prosper. We must be aware of the issues and problems of all communities. Quoting a study, he said why riots do not take place in Calicut but happen in Aligarh most of the time. The reason given was in Calicut 84 per cent people interact and have good rapport where as in Aligarh it is only 25 per cent.
“The communication gap between the communities should be bridged. We should not remain silent on injustice done to any community. Days are not far away when communalists will harm the country due to narrow-mindedness and self-centredness,” he argued.
Professor Ajeet Jha, Convenor Swaraj Abhiyan, said that struggle for safeguarding human rights was there in the past in various parts of the world in one or the other form. It is still present either in practise or even on paper. All the rights which are essential for the human being to live life with dignity are human rights and they should be preserved and protected under all circumstances.
On how to deal with the present situation, Advocate Ravi Garia said, there is a provision in the Constitution which says that cases pertaining to violation of fundamental or human rights can be filed in all lower courts, High Courts and the Supreme Court. But till date one cannot file such cases in district or lower courts.
On the human rights violation in different states, Prof. Vinay Tripathi said since the regime change there is apprehension within the Muslim community that on the pretext of illegal immigrants their rights could be violated, they could be harassed, intimidated and tortured.