World Human Rights Day and Status of Human Rights Violations

Context: Recently data related to human rights violations in states was provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs in Rajya sabha.

• 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.
• International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the World Human Rights Day are observed every year from November 25 to December 10.

About 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.

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).

Current Scenario in India
Total Violations

• 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.

Caste-based Discrimination and Violence

• According to a report released last year, crimes against Dalits increased by 6% from 2009 to 2018 with over 3.91 lakh atrocities being reported.

Communal and Ethnic Violence

• Many people 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.

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.

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.

Violence against Women

• Recently released report 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%.

Children's Rights

• 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.

Key Suggestions

• The government and civil society groups need to gear up for a sustained campaign against this practice.
• Both law enforcement and awareness drives engaging traditional leaders, women’s groups, Panchayati Raj Institutions, frontline workers must be ensured in these areas.
• Building rationalistic thoughts and scientific temper should be a part of the curriculum at different levels of education.
• There is a need for a national law regarding witch-hunting practitioners and mob violence against targeted families.
• States need to build up on different strategies to address the underlying issues of witchcraft.
• The Integrated Child Development Services and Integrated Child Protection Scheme structure should be used to address cases related to violence during witch-hunts.

About World Human Rights Day

• Theme of 2021: “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now”.

Causes of Violence against Women

• Unequal and unjust socio-economic systems.
• Gender inequality
• Inadequate healthcare
• Lack of law enforcement
• Widespread illiteracy.

What is Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

• The UDHR is a document which acts as a global road map for freedom and equality, protecting the rights of every individual.
• It was adopted by United Nations on 10 December 1948.
• Its adoption recognised human rights to be the foundation for freedom, justice and peace.
• It has 30 rights and freedoms including the right to be free from torture, the right to freedom of expression, the right to education and the right to seek asylum.
• It includes civil and political rights such as the rights to life, liberty and privacy.
• It also includes economic, social and cultural rights such as the rights to social security, health and adequate housing.

Significance

• It provides various universal human rights standards, that must be promoted and protected in all countries.
• It continues to serve as a foundation for national and international laws and standards.