Ranchi, Sep. 7: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Justice H L Dattu said that public awareness regarding human rights is the need of the hour. He said human rights should be made the part of curriculum in schools and college.
He said that the national human rights body had mooted a proposal in this regard to the government and that he was optimistic about its implementation.
Addressing the inauguration session of an awareness programme on child labour, bonded labour and human trafficking, Justice Dattu said that he was happy that the state abounding in minerals and natural beauty was conducting such a program. He congratulated the CM for providing such platform to raise vital human rights issues.
Justice Dattu said the NHRC was working to ensure social justice for the weakest section of society. People should know their rights and general principles of human rights. He said the Commission was working to keep intact the rights of children, women, old-age people, SC, ST, and other weaker sections of society.
He said the responsibility of senior officers should be fixed. Such programmes should be conducted at least once a year as they will prove beneficial for SC, ST and OBC, he observed.
Justice Dattu said economic and social inequalities had gripped the nation. The government is trying its level best to rid people of such vices and bring equality.
Expressing satisfaction over government efforts to eradicate child labour and bonded labour, Dattu said the rescued people should be rehabilitated and the state government should focus on it.
He said that water borne diseases were a big problem and that the Commission was serious about it. Citing example from Garhwa district, he said such cases were also detected there. He further said that SC and ST harassment cases posed a big challenged. State governments should safeguard human rights at all costs, he said.
Referring to various camp meetings and hearings being held by the NHRC all over the country, Dattu said the Commission wanted to conduct such programmes everywhere. He laid stress on monitoring the implementation of the various provisions for human rights protection. To ensure this, the Commission has got a report prepared by retired IAS officers on SC-ST issues.
Also present on the occasion, Chief Secretary Raj Bala Verma said the Indian Society had always respected human rights. For this reason, Mahatma Gandhi went to South Africa. She said that Human Rights are respected as Constitutional Law. Underlining the importance of Human Rights Commission, the CS said that the commission prepares an ambience to protect weaker section of society.
On this occasion Human Rights Commission member Justice H. C. Sinha, Justice C. Joseph, Justice D. Murugan, Addl. Chief Secretary, Home NN Pandey, DGP DK Pandey, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of different department, DCs and SPs of all districts were present.