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Save Democracy to ensure Human Rights
Opinion | Articles | Veronica Khangchian | 14-Jan-2021
“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.”(John F. Kennedy)
Year after year we observe Human Rights day on December 10. But the question is, how far do we celebrate it? The universal declaration of Human rights was adopted on 10 December 1948, by the United Nations General Assembly whereby proclaiming ‘the inalienable rights which everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status’. ‘Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights’ as the theme for year 2020, relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on the need to build back a better Human Rights atmosphere as central to the recovery efforts. However, alongside the Covid-19 situation, there emerged new violations of Human Rights, defeating the clarion call for “Better Recovery and Stand up for Human Rights”
Recent incident which caught the public attention was the arrest of father Stan Swamy, a Catholic Priest, on October 8, 2020 by National Investigation Agency (NIA), who was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was implicated in a case registered in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon case of January 1, 2018. The 83 year old Priest, otherwise a tribal Rights activist, was branded as one of the ‘Urban Naxals’, having links with the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), therefore having direct involvement in instigating violence. His bail application which was filed on medical ground therefore was rejected on the plea that his being at large could hamper the process of investigation as the accused may continue to advice members of the banned organisation. How bizarre. Following this calculated allegation and charges on what many believed as squarely fabricated was the fiasco concerning the straw and the sipper cup, which we all know too well. Is not the denial of this basic requirement to an 83 year old suffering from a Parkinson disease a gross violation of Human rights?
Also, since November 26, 2020, we have also seen the farmer’s agitation protesting against the new agricultural laws. Dissatisfied Farmers, who, even after rounds of talks with the government, have said that their agitation will continue till the new laws are repealed. For the moment, the Supreme Court, on January 12, 2021, stayed the controversial three farm laws which are: the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Incidentally, on Human Rights day, 2020, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), the largest farmer’s union, marked the day by demanding the release of several democratic rights activists and intellectuals who were arrested and now languishing in jail. With their ‘larger struggle against “corporatisation” of Indian agriculture’, it emphasizes to stand with different democratic movements of the country.
It is important to note that according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)
report, people in the farm sector accounted for 7.4 per cent of the total suicide cases in India. The report suggests that with over 139,123 registered suicides, India recorded the highest number of suicides in the past five years. Violation of what would work to their advantage would definitely result in much more such cases. Reportedly, farmers have not been earning a fair price for their produce even though food inflation has been high, or consumers have been paying more for agricultural products. In its prospect review for 2020-2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) annual report has suggested that without a fair term of trade for agriculture, the income would not be proportionate to the production.
Meanwhile, recent report suggests that the reverse migration to villages and the uncertainty of future livelihood has forced many to invest back on agriculture and that estimate for June quarter reported a contraction of 23.9 per cent in national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but agriculture was the only sector to have reported positive growth. To cite further instance of violation of human rights, earlier, there have also been arrests made on the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protestors and charged under the UAPA. The carnage in the February 2020 Delhi riots, wherein 53 people killed, majority amongst them being Muslims, is still fresh in one’s minds. It is significant that on January 12, 2021, ‘several members of the British Members of Parliament had demanded that human rights provisions be made mandatory in all future trade deal with India, following a debate in the House of Commons on religious persecution experienced by minorities groups. It spoke loud about the human rights situation in this country, particularly of those in minority, the poor and the helpless.
In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the country witnessed a massive reverse migration, a crisis marred by several deaths, loss of jobs, starvation, neglect and hunger-induced crimes. However, even in the midst of such untold human tragedy and hardship, there was labelling of communities such as ‘Corona Jihadists’ and even profiling of people with mongoloid features as ‘Corona virus’ including to those who were in the fore front of combating the unseen enemy. Thus, no matter how grave situations are for mankind, there are people and groups with scant regards for rights of others in this country. We also found that more often than not, people fighting for their rights or the rights of others, particularly the marginalised groups, are labelled as Khalistanis, Maoists, or even described as ‘Terrorists’. The need therefore, to stand in solidarity with the tribals, farmers, minorities, and every voiceless group of people has become all the more necessary. Also standing up for democracy is now crying need of the hour, not only because democratic institutions are under threat, but because genuine respect for human rights could only be realised in a truly functioning democratic set up.
(The Author is an Assistant Professor, Department of Conflict Management and Peace Initiatives, Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong. She can be reached on verokarujiliu@gmail.com. Views expressed are personal)
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