Nature and extent of violations are a cause of concern: Hamid Ansari

Asserting that human rights violations are widespread, Vice President M. Hamid Ansari on Tuesday said nature and extent of violations are a cause of concern.

Addressing a function on the 'Human Rights and Human Wrongs' organized by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) here, Ansari said questions, however, continue to arise with regard to their efficacy in actual implementation. Violations are widespread, discrimination based on religion, caste, language, ethnicity, creed, work, descent and economic status continue to occur with disturbing frequency.

"These violations relate to denial of rights by State agencies, by individuals and groups. The weaker party is the invariable victim," he added.

He further said as we mark International Human Rights Day today, we need to introspect on some human rights matters affecting our citizens.

"We take pride, with justice, in the fact that we have put in place the requisite intellectual, legal and institutional framework for protection and promotion of human rights as a national responsibility," Ansari added.

The vice president said human rights as they are currently deliberated upon internationally remain primarily and unavoidably part of an intergovernmental process with inputs of varying degree from civil societies, academia and voluntary organizations.

" It is essentially a top-down process with legally constituted Governments and their institutions primarily responsible for promotion and protection of human rights within their own sovereign jurisdiction," he added.

He further said: "By the same logic, it often becomes a politicized activity and the HR Institutions nationally and internationally come under pressure to endorse politically conditioned outcomes."

" As a result universal principles tend to be invoked, or overlooked, selectively. The malaise is widespread and the record of both the Cold War and the post-Cold War periods in all parts of the world testifies to it," he added.

Ansari said international humanitarian law and its provisions find a strong echo in Indian constitutional principles.

"Human Rights as they are currently deliberated upon internationally remain primarily and unavoidably part of an intergovernmental process with inputs of varying degree from civil societies, academia and voluntary organizations. It is essentially a top-down process with legally constituted Governments and their institutions primarily responsible for promotion and protection of human rights within their own sovereign jurisdiction. By the same logic, it often becomes a politicized activity and the HR Institutions nationally and internationally come under pressure to endorse politically conditioned outcomes. As a result universal principles tend to be invoked, or overlooked, selectively," he said.

Ansari said that the beneficiaries of human rights are individuals who live in sovereign states that together constitute the community of nations.

"This is not a community of equals and exists with more than one disjuncture pertaining to their capacity to influence matters. The interests of individuals therefore often get subordinated to the interests of nations. The intent of the Charter and of the Universal Declaration is thus subsumed in the structural framework of the international community. It does not stand alone," he said.

"The dilemma is a real one and while improvements and correctives to the existing mechanism continue to take place, perhaps the question needs to be addressed differently, conjointly from the perspectives of justice and human wrong, meaning by the latter term any act by a human agency that transgresses on the right or dignity of a human being. The resulting situation was summed up succinctly by Rousseau who described right-less human beings as those "whose first gifts are fetters" and whose "first treatment is torture' and yet whose "voice alone is free"," he added.