Citizens’ rights and duties campaign conducted at Lotha Baptist Church

Dimapur, July 24 (EMN): Members of Kohima Law College conducted their ongoing campaign ‘Citizen Rights & Duties Awareness’ at the Lotha Baptist Church in Kohima town on July 22.
Topics about consumer rights; the Lokayukta; the National Food Security; Human Rights; environment; food safety and standards; the Right to Information mechanism, and the Clean Election campaigns were moderated by Chumbeni Kithan, Toshika, Asie Vizol, B. Langshan, Amentoli I Sumi, K Chijamo Shitio, and Imtizungla Jamir, a press release from the campaigners informed on Monday.
During the event, the campaigners talked about, among other issues, the implementation of National Food Security Act of 2013 in Nagaland. With its implementation now, the press release stated, “the big question is does the food grain coming from central government benefit or reach out to the 14,05,956 of the population in Nagaland which consisted of 2,12,034 AAY & 11,93,922 PHH.”
“Was it the beneficiaries are getting rice at the rate of Rs.3/- per kg and Rs.2/- per kg of wheat? If not what would be the duty of state government particularly the department of food & civil supplies or public especially the citizens who are aware of this Act?’ the campaigners queried.
On Human Rights, the resource persons said there was equal right to every individual to life, liberty and property.
“As human being we always wish to live in a world where we all feel safe, have an adequate standard of living and a decent home, where no one is discriminated for any reason in the workplace or anywhere and where violence has no place,” they said during the event.
The campaigners talked about Indigenous Peoples right as well. Their rights should be respected, protected and fulfilled ‘in order to overcome the historical injustices and current pattern of discrimination that indigenous peoples face,’ the press release stated.
‘The Human Rights scenario in Nagaland is still pathetic…all these years the killing of people by the Indian army, the violation of Human Rights by the Naga militant groups was talked about and everybody remains silent.’
The political rights now are “a joke”: people often come across stories of one person casting vote for their entire family, the campaigners lamented. ‘Thus even the right to choose has been lost.’ The press release mentioned also that the state of Nagaland has yet to constitute even the State Human Rights Commission.
Other topics that were elaborated in the press release included the Food Safety & Standard Act of 2006. ‘Earlier, food adulteration was the only concern of food safety and standard but today, with arrival of better technology and with advancement in the standard of living, numerous problems and concern arose regarding food safety and standard in our country,” the press release stated, adding that ‘when health is lost something is lost.’