Pratibha Sharma
The importance of human rights is being realized world-wide, especially in democratic countries and the situation is slowly but surely changing. India, quite in line with the spirit and substance of human right, has been vigorously taking some measures in this direction. There has been a growing widespread interest due to sensitizing of the people about their basic human rights. Now we have large scale public awareness and also assertion for projecting and protecting human rights in the recent years.
In India there is National Human Right Commission while in Jammu and Kashmir, which is a sensitive and strategic State, has separate State Human Right Commission. In our country there are some complex and complicated problems concerning human rights which pose a challenge. The State Human Right Commission is in place with a mandate to protect and promote human rights of the people in Jammu and Kashmir.
The 280-page book titled “Human Right in India-Historical, Social and Political” has vividly drawn a picture of all aspects of human rights in details during the past and the present times. Proper perspective of vital human rights in the historical, social as also political spheres is the distinctive feature of this book by Dr. Kaushlendra Mishra who is a seasoned name in social science and is also a visiting Professor at an IAS Academy.
In the Preface, Dr. Mishra writes, “The basic idea of human development that enriching the lives and freedoms of ordinary people is fundamental has much in common with the concerns expressed by declarations of human rights. The promotion of human development and the fulfillment of human rights share, in many ways, a common motivation, and reflect a fundamental commitment to promoting the freedom, well-being and dignity of individuals in all societies. These underlying concerns have been championed in different ways for a long time “the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen came in 1789”, but the recent literature on Human Development and on Human Rights have given new shape to old aspirations and objectives.
The book has 18 chapters comprising, “Human Rights Perspectives on The Millennium Development Goals”, “Good Governance Perspectives on Institutionalization of Human Rights”, “Human Rights and Human Development”, “The Value of Rights-Based Approach”, ” Human Rights in Development Policy and Practice” and “NGOs, Social Change and the Transformation of Human Relationships”. A good point is that a Bibliography and Index have been given in the book. All these chapters make interesting and instructive reading.
The Millennium Development Goals adopted the United Nations General Assembly, intersect at many points with the international human rights frame-work and many Covenants have been signed by various nations. India too is signatory to UN conventions and trying to gradually improve the conditions in this sphere. The people at large are also asserting for their genuine and basic rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution, which is a living document of people’s democratic aspirations.
There is urgency of fulfilling, protective and promoting human rights of children, women, vulnerable sections like disabled, poorest of poor as also oppressed, exploited ones. While the affected sections of society have to themselves stand up and fight for their cause. The powerful media, both print and electronic, have to play their pivotal role in highlighting the abuse of human rights and lend support to the people for sustained campaign for prompt justice to the aggrieved. The NGOs must also actively get involved in ensuring better human rights environment by taking up this challenging task. Of course, our political and social leadership too have a grave responsibility in this important sphere. We have still miles to go for social justice, gender equality, infusing moral values and economic advancement.
During the 21st century the people will have to make strong and sustained efforts to improve the human rights situation across the globe to make this world a happy place for all the human beings.
The treatment of the subject of human rights is scholarly and exhaustive, touching all the important issues and problems have been dealt in this work. The quality of this publication is of high standard, with fine printing and attractive production. This book by Dr. Kaushlendra Mishra , a well qualified and experienced person, is useful for the youth, politicians, administrators, academicians as well as the common readers.
(Starline Syndicate Service)
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