Emphasising on the need of the police force to be sensitive to people’s rights and become responsive, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday said that it should be sensitised to protect the rights of every citizen.
Delivering the inaugural address during a seminar on Human Rights organised by Haryana Human Rights Commission at Panchkula, Hooda said, police must protect the rights and interests of all, especially of weaker segments of the society such as women, children, the elderly, workers, juveniles and the convicts as well as the undertrials.
The Chief Minister said that the Government had constituted State Human Rights Commission and was providing adequate resources to it to ensure that it functions unhindered in the service of the common people. He hoped that the Commission would work in close coordination with the members of civil society to ensure a bright and just future for the people of the State, particularly those who are vulnerable.
Hooda said that steps have also been taken to protect prisoners’ rights. “Our approach to the issue is guided by the principle that a prisoner does not cease to be a citizen just because he has become a prisoner. Also, a convicted person goes to prison as punishment, not for punishment,” he added.
Chairman, State Human Rights Commission, Justice Vijender Jain said that the objective to set up Human Rights Commission was to ensure transparency and sensitisation in governance.
He said that Human Rights directly linked with policing as most of the times media and public think that violence of Human Rights is done by police. On the contrary, it is factual that maximum protection of human rights is also ensured by the police. He thanked the CM for setting up Human Rights Commission in the State hoping that the deliberations in the seminar would make the police more sensitised towards human rights.
Director General of Police, S. N. Vashist assured that police is quite alert and would not violate the human rights in its daily functioning. He assured that prompt action would be taken if any act of violence of human rights would come in their knowledge. We are trying to ensure transparent and accountable police administration in the state, he added. Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Samir Mathur and Member, State Human Rights Commission J.S. Ahlawat also spoke on the occasion.