National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Justice (rtd) Hl Dattu has advocated for spreading awareness about human rights among common people. Inaugurating a two-day open hearing of some 96 cases by the Commission here on Wednesday, he said that human rights should be included as a part of curriculum in schools and colleges in the State.
Dattu said in his opening remarks of first of its kind sitting of the bench in the State that the Commission had already proposed the same to the State Government, and hoped that it would come true soon. The Commission also organised a day long workshop on 'Elimination of Bonded labour, Child labour and Human Trafficking' in collaboration with the Government of Jharkhand at Judicial Academy, Jharkhand.
Dattu focused on importance of the Commission, saying that it was relentlessly working for providing justice to underprivileged and weaker sections of the society. “Other than children, women and senior citizens, the Commission keeps special attention on Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes (SC/ST/OBC). The Commission is in process to make sure that a programme like this takes place at least once in a year,” Dattu said in pre-hearing address.
NHRC team heard as many as 15 cases in full bench which comprised of Justice Hl Dattu, Justice D Murugeson and Justice C Joseph, 12 cases in double bench and around five dozen cases in a single bench on Wednesday. There are around 10 cases to be presented before the Commission on Thursday.
NHRC Chairman also drew attention of the State towards water borne diseases in district of Garhwa and around, human trafficking and harassment cases of dalits and said that the State needed to work to get rid of these problems and social evils at the earliest. Praising programmes like
MGNREGA, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and other programmes like this, Dattu reiterated that these plans, if well executed and properly monitored, could be one of the best tools to fight against social disparity.
Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma assured the Commission on the occasion that the State was committed to protect rights of every citizen in general and those pointed out by the Commission in particular. Director General of Police (DGP) DK Pandey, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) NN Pandey, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of different departments, SPs, DCs and other officials were present.
Verma praised NHRC for such an initiative in the State and said that societies in India were proactive to provide human rights to all, which was also evident in Mahatma Gandhi visiting to South Africa only to restore human rights there. She said that human rights was as important as any other rights provided to citizens by the Constitution of India.