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The why of observing Human Rights Day

Martin Adhikary
THREE score years ago, the UN had marked December 10 as Human Rights Day. All over the world nations will observe this day with numberless activities around the lofty slogan "AU human beings are bom free and equal in dignity and rights." Sixty years have passed by since the Declaration of Human Rights. But where we ard noW?
Let me begin with the theme of Man trying to find the answer to the question "What is Man?" Every piece of literary work, every work in human cultures and civilisations in aU times and climes is a running commentary or answer to this question. "Man is the crown of creation," we say. Man is the Creator's representative, His vice-regent to His creation as he has the attributes that no other creature has.
Long ago a Greek phUosopher defined man as "a two-legged creature without wings!" According to Islam, he is "Ashraf ul
maqlukath." According to the Bible, "Man is God's image-bearer," meaning that God has given man the moral attributes of love, holiness, justice. Man is an animal who has the culture or habit of asking questions about his own self, his own actions. He has a body, a mind, soul and a spirit. He can find the meaning of life if he can meaning-fuUy relate to other members in the society with love, sanctity of life and justice. This is -where we must find the basis of human rights. But we are far away from where we ought to be.
There are gross violations of human rights everywhere and in every nation and society. This is part and parcel of human society, a hard reality. According to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, "Discrimination lies at the root of many of the world’s most pressing human rights problems. No country is immune from this scourge. Eliminating discrimination is a duty of the highest orde r."
We need to identify key actors or factors
that lie behind the violation of human rights in any society. Lack of awareness among the people on human rights is another area. There is no alternative to this. Awareness is the basis for all other activities with regard to democracy and human rights. So many injustices take place against innocent and helpless people because of lack of awareness among them in this area. They cannot enjoy their democratic and human rights and develop their human potential. The dynamism, pro-activity and synergy for authentic growth and development are stunted.
Any pro-people government's priority ought to be to ensure that the poor and marginalised people receive enough education and awareness in this. Mass education and awareness must be the program of governments and NGOs on every aspect of human rights so that there is enough vigilance on the part of every community member. "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." A culture of vigilance needs to be developed to make sure that people enjoy their rights and also contribute to the enjoyment of the same by others. Rights imply duties.
The promotion and protection of human rights and the rights of children of the people with disabilities must be given priority by the government and the NGOs.
The government on its own is not enough. The NGOs have been doing a great deal for national development, including these areas of critical importance. Almost every day we hear and read news on human rights violations against women, children and people with disabilities.
Also, corruption sometimes influences
decision-making in favour of influential people. A lack of transparency is evident here. Word and deed do not match. Lack of stewardship in the management of resources that belong to the people is absent. The rich become richer and the poor remain as poor. This is encouraged when state or government allows for impu-
nity to the violations of human rights. Crime should be answered by punishment. Justice must be ensured in a developing nation like ours, where the overwhelming majority of people are under the povertylevel.
Citizens vote for representatives to form a government to ensure that there is "dushter domon o shister palon" in the society. Corrupt people are few in number, but their bad influence is colossal, adversely affecting lives of millions.
We longed patiently for a truly democratic government with a parliament, a judiciary and civil servants to inculcate the values of democracy and patriotism that will pave the way for a just society. There should not be biasness towards anyone. The rights oj t^ey pgor.and the sinned-against should be upheld, especially for people who are weak and voiceless, so that there is impact-m|king influence on public policies, social attitudes and socio-political processes to enable, empower and transform the lives and attitude of the mass for the creation of a society that will value the sanctity of life. This is how human rights and justice can be maintained, and the same may not be trampled down by any influence. Let justice roll down like streams of water.
Reverend Martin Adhikary is a social worker.