Empower NHRC with penal powers, says Judge

District and Sessions Judge Shivshankar B Amarannavar asserted that National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) should be empowered with penal powers.

Speaking after inaugurating the Human Rights day celebrations here on Wednesday, the district judge said that the National Human Rights Commission is born toothless with no punitive powers. It recommends to State for taking action. It makes efforts to take into account the violation of human rights. He opined that serious note should be taken against the barbaric violation of human rights in case of sexual atrocities.

He pointed out that the human rights day is celebrated to commemorate the day on which United Nations General Assembly accepted Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948. The UN decided to celebrate the human rights day on this day in 1950. It represented significant changes from events during World War II and the colonialisation that persisted during that time in the world. 

Asserting that the main purpose of the celebration is to educate people, the judge said awareness should be created among children and teenagers regarding human rights and importance of upholding these in their own communities. It is to alert people over the instances where UDHR is not recognised or respected. This year’s slogan, Human Rights 365, encompasses the idea that everyday is human rights day.

‘It celebrates the essential proposition in the fundamental rights, that each one of us, everywhere at all time is entitled to, which binds us together as a global community’.
Stating that SC has expanded the scope of the right to life, he said the directive principles of State policy also act as guidelines while framing the human rights. Pointing out that India has not recognised some rights, he said the issue of abolition of capital punishment continues to be the topic of deliberation. Similar is the case with right to abortion and euthanasia. Even the attempt to suicide is punishable under IPC 309.

Despite several attempts to make it unconstitutional, the SC has made it clear that right to life does not include right to die. The Government should enact the laws and see that whether it is infringed.

Speaking on the occasion, SP Rajendra Prasad said the police are always viewed as the most violators of human rights. It was slightly true in the previous years due to unavailability of techniques to track the truth, except third degree method and torture in the custody. However, the scenario is changed owing to many number of scientific methods like narco analysis, DNA test, calligraphic test, DNA and so on, he said and added that district police complaint authority would be shortly set up in Udupi district.

Deputy Commissioner Dr R Vishal said officials play a major role in sustaining the human rights. India will have the highest number of populace in the working age group in the next 20 years. He said the right to education, skill development and employment opportunities are the need of the hour.

He opined that if India has 10 per cent growth rate subsequently every year in the next 10 years, only then India can utilise the demographic dividend. Development is something wherein every person has the voice. He lamented that 90 per cent of the accused punished for capital punishment are poor, adivasis, SC/ST and minorities. They had no sufficient legal services.