'Need to impart human rights training to para-military,police'

Highlighting the need to sensitise police and para-military personnel about human rights, former Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan today said that there was an "element" of these rights in every police action.
Almost in every police action there was an element of human rights, including right to liberty and dignity, he said, adding police personnel, especially at lower level need to be properly sensitised about the importance of these rights and their obligations to protect them.
Justice Balakrishnan, Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission, inaugurated a day-long workshop on 'Human Rights Training in Police and Para-Military Organisations' here.
Justice Balakrishnan insisted that police must register an FIR in all cognisable offences.

At the same time, tendency to arrest is needed to be curbed in small offences to ensure that prisons are not over crowded by under-trial prisoners, he said.
During the discussion it was suggested that Human Rights Training should be made integral to policing to change the mindset among all ranks of police personnel, including entry level, pre-promotion level and in-service.

While some suggested that analysis of training requirements and methods must be done to reduce the gap between theory and practice of policing, trainers with impeccable past record should be enrolled to impart the training to officials.
It was also suggested that Human Rights officer must be designated who would sensitise the troops in a battalion.

The workshop was informed that the NHRC has been collaborating with various police academies and developed a curriculum for them in collaboration with IGNOU.