Fight for rights,says Sacher

PATNA: Justice Rajender Sachar here on Saturday urged people to unite for bringing about a positive change in society, and continue to fight for human rights. He was addressing the 12th national convention of People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).
The former chief justice of Delhi high court deliberated at length on the contributions made by PUCL in the field of civil liberties and said it was due to its writ petition that all election candidates have to mandatorily declare their assets and any charges framed against them in respect of any offence.He also lashed out at a section of media for not prominently highlighting the issues related to human rights.
PUCL president Prabhakar Sinha said the masses will have to fight for their rights. The human rights of even our foes and rivals must not be violated. Stating that the civil liberties scenario has been deteriorating in the country, Sinha said some of the present-day laws are even harsher than those in vogue during the colonial era in the country. He described Acts like Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and Prevention of Terrorism Act as "draconian laws", marginalizing human rights. He said limited awareness about civil liberties among people was responsible for the deteriorating situation.