Data on human rights violations - MHA

A detailed look at human rights violations, as per data submitted in Parliament.

Data on human rights violations - MHA

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• The story: Human rights violations data in Indian states was given by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the Parliament. Around 40% of human rights violation cases lodged annually by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the past three financial years till this 31st October (2021) were from Uttar Pradesh. India was a key participant in the UN convention on human rights, that issued the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (UDHR) in 1948.
• What is a human rights violation: It is the disallowance of the freedom of thought and movement to which all humans legally have a right. While individuals can violate these rights, the leadership or government of civilization most often belittles marginalized persons. This, in turn, places these people in the cycle of poverty and oppression. Individuals who approach life with the attitude that not all human lives are of equal value then perpetuate this cycle.
• Some examples: Forcibly evicting people from their homes (the right to adequate housing). Contaminating water, for example, with waste from State-owned facilities (the right to health). Failure to ensure a minimum wage sufficient for a decent living (rights at work). Failure to prevent starvation in all areas and communities in the country (freedom from hunger).
• The range: It can be directly (intentionally). Violations can either be intentionally performed by the state and or come as a result of the state failing to prevent the violation. When a state engages in human rights violations, various actors can be involved such as police, judges, prosecutors, government officials, and more. The violation can be physically violent in nature, such as police brutality, while rights such as the right to a fair trial can also be violated, where no physical violence is involved.
• Failure to protect rights: This happens when there's a conflict between individuals or groups within a society. If the state does nothing to intervene and protect vulnerable people and groups, it's participating in the violations. In the US the state failed to protect black Americans when lynching's frequently occurred around the country.
• Indian situation: The total number of rights violation cases in India lodged by the NHRC reduced from 89,584 in 2018-19 to 76,628 in 2019-20 and to 74,968 in 2020-21. In 2021-22, till 31st October (2021), 64,170 cases were lodged. According to a 2020 report, crimes against Dalits increased by 6% from 2009 to 2018 with over 3.91 lakh atrocities being reported. Many were attacked by vigilante cow protection groups and many of those affected were minority groups. People from African countries faced racism and discrimination in India.

1. Freedom of Association - The government cancelled the registration of several civil society organisations which specifically prevented them from getting foreign funding, even after the United Nations (UN) claimed it was not in accordance with international law.
2. Freedom of Expression - Several people were arrested under sedition laws for expressing their dissent with government policy and several Indians were arrested for even posting comments on Facebook.
3. Violence against Women - Reports on National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 5 points to rising instances of domestic and sexual violence against women in the state. It shows that married women, between the ages of 18-49, who have ever experienced spousal violence, has more than doubled from 20.6 in 2014-15 to 44.5%.
4. Children's rights - The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data reveals a total of 1,28,531 crimes against children were recorded in India last year (2020), implying that an average of 350 such cases were reported each day during the pandemic.

• Summary: Humans must recognize the beauty of individual differences and attempt to understand each other before a change can happen. Sensitisation of society will go a long way.
• EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) Explain the reasons human rights violations continues to be a persistent problem in India. (2) What are the ways human rights can be protected, by individual effort? Explain.

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