Human rights observance has gained immense importance today throughout the world. The relevance is more so in our region where there is report of series of massacres, violations of right to life, denial of civil and political rights. People have to fight for everything in our land and the state’s response and measures are not worth getting applause from any quarter . State human rights commission is now defunct and writings on the wall are clear. State government does not want to clean the dirty linings in the open. The central government is also unable to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Banning mobile services in the north east is not the solution in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Stopping mobile services when the Union Home Minister comes to the state is amazing. After the attacks on Parliament there was no talk of imposing AFSPA in New Delhi or banning mobile services. Ban on entry of foreigners and other restrictions exclusively reserved for our holy land are abominable archaic restrictions not expected in a democratic country. The UN observes the day every year . Time has come to dedicate the day to Irom Sharmila an incarnate of ‘Mother Compassion’. The future generations will find it hard to fathom the reason of the delay of recognizing her works . Procrastination of a decision favouring democracy over martial law will remain a black phase in our democracy. Such unparallel struggle should be recognized by the UN and observance of the day to recognize her works at least for a year will go down in global history and international human rights movement to safeguard the dignity and the rights of the people. No one is against the military but against martial law taking over people’s life in a great democratic country like ours. Every state agencies have its own defined roles and one should not try to contravene its others’ duties and responsibilities. If martial law has to be imposed in the aftermath of every blast or attack the entire world fits the bill to be imposed AFSPA. Attacks in US, Europe and other countries are crimes against humanity of immense proportion and the blasts in our region are like ants biting a rhinoceros. Is our democracy and people’s rule so weak that we have to call in the service of the military to carry out state activities. Prolonged use of military will belittle supremacy of the people over all forces. Too much use of the most powerful medicines will affect the harmony of the body and may lead to the dead of the person. It is well said that , “Human rights belong equally to each of us and bind us together as a global community with the same ideals and values.” The date was chosen to honour the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first major achievements of the new United Nations. It was a year later after India got Independence. Time has come for our country to understand people’s aspirations and respect human dignity and life. UN Secy Gen, Ban Ki-moon aptly described the movement and the current scenario when he said, “Yet at the end of an extraordinary year for human rights, let us take strength from the achievements of 2011: new democratic transitions set in motion, new steps to ensure accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity, new and ever-spreading awareness of rights themselves. As we look to the challenges ahead, let us take inspiration from the example of human rights activists and the timeless power of the Universal Declaration, and do our utmost to uphold the ideals and aspirations that speak for every culture and every person.” And we feel the right person to remember is Irom Sharmila .
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/un-human-rights-day-on-the-works-of-sharmila/
