The importance of Human Rights education in Nagaland – PART-II

Kezhokhoto Savi

Every year the 10th December is observed as International Human Rights Day to bring the attention of the peoples of the world that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference, marked the beginning of a renowned effort in the protection and promotion of human rights. Promoting human rights is one of the core purposes of the United Nations. And the core purpose of the United Nations was deliberately failing as Nagaland and several other North Eastern states could not constitute a State Human Rights Commission till date. Even the National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi asked every state to set up State Human Rights Commission and had also recommended to incorporate human rights education in state education board syllabus and further urged the NGOs to create more awareness. Human Rights are fundamental to our every existence without which we cannot live as human being.
To protect human rights is to ensure that people receive some degree of decent, human treatment. However, in many cases public authorities and government official institute policies that violates basic human rights. Such abuses of power by political leaders and state authorities have devastating effects. Slavery, poverty, physical torture, destruction of property, rape, killing, hunger, sex exploitation, forced labour, child labour, commercial sex exploitation, illiteracy, etc. are against human rights. As indigenous people of the land, Article 371A of the constitution of India provides a special provision giving the Naga people rights to protect their own way of life, its land and resources. The various Naga Tribal Councils in Nagaland raised strong voices against the certain notified community as an indigenous tribe of Nagaland is simply the demand to protect the rights of indigenous people as indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland.
Broadly speaking human rights may be regarded as those fundamental and inalienable rights which are essential for life as human being. Human rights are the rights which are possessed by every human being, irrespective of his or her nationality, race, religion, sex, etc., simply because he or she is a human being. Human rights are thus those rights which are inherent in our nature and without which we cannot live as human being. Human rights and fundamental freedoms allows us to fully develop and use our human qualities, our intelligence, our talents, and our conscience and to satisfy our physical, spiritual and other needs. They are based on mankind’s increasing demand for a life in which the inherent dignity and worth of each human being will receive respect and protection. Human rights are ascribed “naturally” which means that they are not earned and cannot be denied on the basis of race, creed, ethnicity or gender. Basing on the parameters of value, a number of other aspects developed to regulate the behavioural patterns of man. These values such as dignity, liberty, equality, justice, ethics and morals, have had their significant impact to shape the human relations in a society. The main aim and function of law in any society is to regulate the relations between men and to alleviate the intensity of conflicts to promote peace, security, good and orderly behaviour of mankind to establish a conflict free society.
In view of the linkage and importance that values play a significant role in the promotion and realization of human rights. Dignity is another value that regulates the behaviour of individuals. In the day to day inter-relationships, individuals are expected to behave with one another in a dignified and honest manner. Equality is another important component of human rights.
The aim of the Universal Declaration of Human Right and the constitutions of various countries including India are to treat all the people on an equal footing without any kind of discrimination. Liberty is another concept which plays a vital role in the promotion of human rights. In simple terms, liberty means human beings are free to regulate their relations and are able to govern their relations, behave at their own will, and be responsible for their acts. Ethics and morals are considered as equal concepts. Morals deal with the personal character of an individual. On the other hand, ethics lays its importance on a social system, which regulates the code of conduct of a group of individuals, In other words, the morals need to be applied in each society depending on the values that are acceptable by a society. From the perspective of human rights, the concept of justice, equality and the participation of individuals in the socio-cultural aspects of the community are ethical aspects. The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was a great human rights activist who strongly believed and practiced non-violence. One of the great American Presidents, Abraham Lincoln, was a man who had sacrificed his life for the abolition of slavery. Nelson Mandela was one of the great symbols of human rights of our time whose life was committed to human dignity, equality, freedom & justice.
The crying need of the developing world is to live in peace and harmony, and here human rights and development can move together, provided man is conscious of his rights and his social and national responsibilities. Human right is a symbol of hope and the need of the hour as violation of human rights has become a day to day event in the society. Creating a safe, secured and harmonious environment for the neo-literate is the look of the family, the community, the civilized society and community at large.

(Kezhokhoto Savi is an Asst. Professor of Kohima Law College and also the Former President of International Human Rights Organisation(IRHO), Kohima)