A TO Z INDIA ● MARCH 2022 ● PAGE 20
The human rights movement in India :
Fundamental human rights
Salil Saroj
Fundamental human rights are universal and inalienable and all people in the world are entitled to enjoy them without discrimination on the ground of race , colour , sex , ethnicity , age , language , religion , national or social origin , disability , property , birth or other status . Life of inherent liberty , equality and dignity can only provide the basic foundation of freedom with justice and peace in the world . It is a matter of utmost concern that disregard and contempt of human rights are being indulged in various areas which outrage the conscience of humankind . Though the autonomous institutions like the independent Judiciary , free Media , the civil society groups and the multi-party system have been making significant contributions towards protecting and promoting human rights in our country , the role played by our legislative institutions , particularly our Parliament in this direction is , indeed , commendable . It has been responsible for putting in place several legislations of farreaching effect in this regard .
Human rights have no meaning if there is no sustainable human development to eliminate poverty , promote human dignity and rights , and provide equal opportunities for all through good governance . This is of particular relevance in the context of the on-going process of globalization and its potential for excluding and marginalizing the weaker sections and people with limited resources . It is essential that efforts to promote human rights must afford protection to all who face exclusion and marginalisation . Development , which encompasses within its fold the social , economic and political milieu , is only possible in the real sense of the term , if poverty is eradicated , which is the biggest threat and challenge for human rights and the single-most debilitating factor that has prevented people from realizing their full potential .
Unfortunately , the fruits of development have failed to reach all our citizens in the same proportion and , as a result , inequality is continuously growing along with the gap between the haves and the have-nots . We must ensure that the fruits of development will reach every section of the people equitably . We need to have vested interest in promoting inclusive democracy in place of diversities- be it religious , cultural or linguistic , reinforced by a commitment to protect their rights and interests against intrusions of all kinds . The rights and opportunities enjoyed by every individual make democracy distinct . But , most disconcertingly , our country now is witnessing a growing tendency to promote sectarianism and divisiveness among our people for narrow sectarian interest which undermines democracy and which will create conditions for the infringement of human rights . Thus , there is an urgent need for making human rights education an integral part of our formal education system at all levels-schools , colleges and Universities , which will help build a universal culture of human rights through imparting knowledge and skills and through moulding attitudes .
Even after centuries of experiments with democracy which is based on universal franchise , liberty and equality , women continue to be discriminated all over the world and are subject to many forms of human rights violations . Crimes against women which are increasing exponentially are , in fact , crimes against humanity . Our Constitution confers on men and women equal rights and opportunities in political , social and economic spheres and it is essential that all steps should be taken to facilitate women ' s empowerment in real terms , apart from reservation of seats in our higher representative bodies .