The National Human Rights Commission has shifted from Faridkot House and started functioning from its new building - Manav Adhikar Bhawan, near INA, in New Delhi, from today.
Inaugurating it, Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC, expressed satisfaction over having NHRC's own space after nearly 20 years since its inception.
However, he said that the Commission would continue to make efforts to have an independent building as Manav Adhikar Bhawan is part of an inter-linked group of identical buildings having various Government offices, which may cause confusion and needless aspersions about its independent status.
He said that the Paris Principles require financial and operational independence for every NHRI, including independent building, which should be easily accessible to public.
Giving an overview of the Commission's functioning and vast area of interventions into the issues of human rights violations, Justice Balakrishnan said that the Commission has so far received nearly 12 lakh 80 thousand complaints and disposed of more than 12 lakh 50 thousand by giving relief to several people.
Lauding media's contribution in bringing so many issues of human rights violations in far flung areas of the country to the Commission's notice, Justice Balakrishnan said the media is equal partner of the Commission in protection and promotion of human rights and would like to collaborate with news organizations. There is a need for the news organizations to develop an NHRC beat, which has the widest scope for reporting on different rights-based issues, coming under various ministries.
Referring to a large number of under trial prisoners in jails, Justice Balakrishnan said that the tendency to arrest in small offences is needed to be curbed. Fair trial is necessary for all individuals and Government must ensure that courts are fully equipped in terms of manpower and resources so that cases are disposed of speedily and criminal justice system could work to its full potential. Expressing concern about a large of complaints against police personnel, he emphasized upon their sensitization, especially at Thana and Chowki level, about the importance of human rights.
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He also expressed serious concern over increasing incidents of sexual assault and crime against women and said that the development and economic growth would not make any sense in a society if its moral quotient goes down. Laws may have a different value but reform has to come from within.
Referring to the below expectation implementation of social welfare schemes, the NHRC Chairperson said that the quality and quantity of nutritious food served under Mid-Day Meal Scheme needs to be realistically reviewed for improvement.
He said that the rising cost of living has made the issue of social security cover all the more relevant. The enactment of Food Security Bill is a milestone in that direction.
He said that poverty is the greatest violation of human rights and expressed the hope that the ongoing debate on the effective implementation of the Food Security Law will be fruitful.
He added that sufficient storage capacity needs to be build to ensure that the produce of hard working farmers do not go waste.
He also expressed the hope that with the enactment of the New Company Law, corporate-social responsibility will now receive more impetus. NHRC is already working on developing a code of business ethics.
With reference to mental health care system, Justice Balakrishnan said that the Government needs to pay serious attention to improve the condition and hoped that with the passage of The Mental Health Care Bill, 2013, the concerns of this sector will be addressed.
He also said that the NHRC has made some guidelines on the clinical drug trials which have been sent to the Union Health Ministry for deliberation with their counterparts in States.
The NHRC has already decided to make an application on the issue in the Supreme Court.
The NHRC Chairperson regretted that despite effective Laws the instances of child and bonded labour and atrocities against Scheduled Castes have not come down.
He said that the National Human Rights Commission does not have an adversarial role to the Governments, it only helps in good governance and it would continue this policy.
