Sensitise govt functionaries toward NGOs: NHRC to states

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today wrote to states asking them to sensitise government functionaries towards the role of NGOs and Human Rights Defenders.
The Commission has written letters to the Chief Secretaries of all states/UTs requesting them to sensitise their functionaries about the problems being faced by NGOs and Human Rights Defenders, who should be treated as partners in bringing about a change in the human rights environment, an NHRC release said.
The letter mentions that the NGOs and Human Rights Defenders have drawn the attention of the Commission towards the functional environment in the states being not very conducive to their work.

"They have alleged that functionaries of the NGOs and Human Rights Defenders are being threatened and sometimes have been physically manhandled by the state authorities. It is also stated by them that they live in constant fear of being implicated in false cases," the statement said.
The Commission had also discussed these issues with the authorities during its meetings, open hearings and camp sittings in their respective states.