Human rights are an Indian tradition: PM Modi

Marking the 25th anniversary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that a person's life, dignity, and rights have always been an important part of Indian culture and traditions.

Addressing an event at the Vigyan Bhawan here, Prime Minister Modi said, "For the last 25 years, the NHRC has been the voice for the common man of the country. It has led the way for the building of the nation by being the voice for the oppressed, poor. Your work towards justice has been recognised by international human rights institutions as well. As proud a matter as it is for India, protection of human rights has always been a part of our culture and traditions."

The Prime Minister further stated that human rights were at the very focus of the freedom movement in the country, adding that the commitment towards human rights pulled the country out of a great crisis during the 1970's.

"In that dark period of emergency, even the right to life was stripped; what can you say about rights? But Indians again achieved human rights through their own efforts," Prime Minister Modi said.

The Prime Minister highlighted his government's efforts towards ensuring and protecting human rights, saying that serious efforts have been made to raise the dignity of poor, deprived, exploited and oppressed society in that period.

The Prime Minister's Housing Scheme, the Swacchh Bharat Mission, under the garb of which, millions of Indians have been given access to toilets, enhancing disabled people's rights with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, were some of the government initiatives cited by the Prime Minister as an example of his government's commitment towards human rights.

"Our govt has worked towards eliminating problems faced by women while working in the night shifts & has provided them adequate security during it. There were questions over a daughters' right to life. A section of the society with narrow minded people considered daughters unwanted and killed them in the womb. Today, I can proudly say that with 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', several states have seen a rise in the number of daughters," the Prime Minister said.

"The NHRC's role is important in what the government is trying to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. To improve the lives of the people of the country, the government is committed to ensuring their rights," Prime Minister Modi said in conclusion.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also noted that human rights have always been a part of traditional Indian values.

"Respecting human rights in India comes under our very old tradition. The idea of human rights here has never happened on the basis of minority and majority. We have also been concerned about the human rights of our opponents, this is the specialty of our culture of India," Singh said.