By Abu Zafar, India Tomorrow,
New Delhi, 10 Dec 2013: While International Human Rights Day is observed across the globe on Tuesday, several human and civil rights organizations in India also expressed their concern over ‘widespread’ violation of human rights in the country. Organizations like All India Human Rights Association (AIHRA), National Coalition on Special Component Plan (SCP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) and Kerala Muslim Yuvajana Federation (KMYF) protested at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar while Vice President of the country Mohammad Hamid Ansari asserted that human rights violation is widespread in the country and it is a cause of concern.
Protesters under the banner of KMYF demanded repeal of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, release of Kerala based People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Nasser Madani and other innocent persons who are behind bars in false cases and passage of the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparation) Bill immediately.
ET Mohammed Basheer, Member of Parliament of Indian Union Muslim League, from Ponnani (Kerala), who was part of KMYF protest told India Tomorrow that UAPA is misused by the government and it should be withdrawn.
“We all know that UAPA is misused by the government. Thousands of innocent Muslims are behind bars without any justifiable reason. It is the decline of justice. We are demanding that UAPA should be withdrawn,” Basheer said while talking to India Tomorrow.
While answering a question about Madani he said that it is not question of Madani but question of justice.
“There are several innocent Muslim youths behind bars. It is not a question of Madani but it is the question of justice.”
“He (Madani) was in jail in Tamil Nadu for almost 9 years and finally acquitted. Now he is in Karnataka jail. You know that he has been denied even treatment and he is suffering from severe diseases,” he further said.
“Actually question is about all under trials including Madani. If he is guilty then it should be proved and if not then he should be acquitted,” Basheer demanded.
“I hope that the Government of India will do the maximum possible to ensure justice. Unfortunately up to this moment justice has not been ensured,” he added.
Abbdul Majeed, secretary, Minority Rights Watch (MRW) backs Basheer’s claim.
“There are lots of human rights violations in India. Thousands of people including those who were struggling for their rights in different parts of the country are behind bars. We demand the government to release them immediately,” Majeed told India Tomorrow.
December 10 is marked as Human Rights Day worldwide. It was proclaimed in 1950 by United Nations. In 1993 the UN also created United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Addressing a function ‘Human Rights and Human Wrongs’ organized by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari said “we need to introspect on some human rights matters affecting our citizens.”
“As we mark this Day today, we need to introspect on some human rights matters affecting our citizens. We take pride, with justice, in the fact that we have put in place the requisite intellectual, legal and institutional framework for the protection and promotion of human rights as a national responsibility,” Press Information Bureau (PIB), a nodal agency of Indian government, quoted his speech.
“Violations are widespread, discrimination based on religion, caste, language, ethnicity, creed, work, descent and economic status continues to occur with disturbing frequency. These violations relate to denial of rights by State agencies, by individuals and groups. The weaker party is the invariable victim,” Vice President further said.
