Human Rights Activism is it imperative or redundant!

In The Indian Constitution there are certain well-defined rights of citizens and these rights help a citizen to realise his potential and make the most of his life. Our makers of the constitution conferred rights on the citizens irrespective of caste,creed,region,linguism, religion and political ideology.In a democracy like Ours if human rights are not protected or guaranteed it amounts to a democracy in name only and not in letter and spirit. Unfortunately for reasons like abject poverty,illiteracy,unemployment and population explosion people are ignorant of their rights and are deprived of their rights by vested interests. Even hardened criminals and ones accused of heinous crimes are also entitled to rights like presumption of innocence until proven guilty, fair trial and access to a lawyer of his/her choice. India has been a signatory of several international human rights conventions. Human rights are vital for a sustainable democracy and for political stability.

A free Press, Apolitical and Independent Army, An Independent and Autonomous Judiciary and commited bureaucracy can only funcition if there human rights available to one and all. The courts have time and again Interpreted the fundamental Rights arising from the constitution in Public and National Interest. Life becomes meaningless if one is deprived of Human rights. Despite there being a categorical mention of human rights in the constitution the violation of these rights happen in every nook and corner of the country.If the government fails to take cognisance of these violations, Human rights activists, NGOs take up cudgels against the Powers that be to enforce the rights and remedy the wrong.There is also State Human Rights Commission and National Human rights commission which were formed by virtue of Human Rights Act, 1993. Human rights violation by and large is done by public servants which include bureaucrats and Police.

The Police Reforms are still on paper and not yet implemented thanks to our lackadaisical and callous Government.Mala fide arrests, Illegal detentions, malicious prosecution and false arrests have become an order of the day for cops. Third-degree torture, custodial deaths and extracting confessions by arm-twisting methods is something the Police does in quite a number of cases.The conviction rate in our criminal justice system is poor, there is no witness protection programme,inordinate delays in trials, shoddy investigation all this leads to nothing but miscarriage of justice and travesty of justice. On the other hand Criminals who are recidivists and part of crime syndicate are well connected with power brokers and wheeler dealers so cops out of frustration become trigger-happy and bump off such nefarious miscreants.Its of paramount importance for human rights activists to empathise with the police and not to demoralise them with harsh criticism without proper proof and evidence. In India the Human Rights activists and self-styled crusaders by and large sympathise with the accused, justify strikes by labour unions, oppose economic reforms like disinvestments and privatisation.

Its high time the civil society take cognisance of their rights and help the weaker and disadvantaged sections of society to cherish their rights only then we can call ourselves a matured and evolving democracy. Human Rights activists must not sympathise with maoists and naxaliites so long as they take recourse to violence, maoists can be counselled only when the shun violence and come with an open mind to a peaceful dialogue and to mend their ways. Protection of human rights is indispensable and empowerment of Police is necessary to keep vigil on crime and for enforcement of criminal laws both substantive and procedural.

Empty Rhetoric and idealism of Indian Intelligentsia

When anyone talks of social work, espousing causes or taking on the system, Most folks think of NGOs, think tanks and idea banks.News channels as of today function round the clock and have forgotten their limits and restrictions, Sensationalism is the order of the day for them.Most elite in this country are nothing more than arm chair critics and silent spectators to ills happening in the system and the political apparatus as a whole.Corporate houses talk vociferously about corporate governance and corporate social responsibility but all this is mere sound byte and the ground reality is they are driven by commercial objectives and profiteering. When it comes to actually taking up cudgels against the powers that be rarely anyone takes the initiative.

Mass mobilisation, crusades and protests which take place on our soil have not sufficed or in any way have changed the state of affairs. god men talk of austerity and abstinence but most so called god men have amassed so much wealth which is disproportionate to their known sources of income. Corruption has reached orgasmic levels and the laws of the land pertaining to corruption are very weak and contain umpteen loopholes. It is the moral duty of the citizens to ensure the ruling class is transparent and accountable.When Rights of individuals are violated they must not hesitate to seek remedy from an appropriate forum. Judicial activism should be encouraged.

In order that reforms should occur its the bounden duty of every citizen to take a plunge in the pursuit of change that they desire in the quality of governance and administration. Seminars, talks and dialogues will only matter when it impacts the status quo and shakes the foundation of a corrupt regime. These pursuits really matter when there is collective endeavour and mass movement with an intent to weed out corruption from the system. Idealism is fine but to some extent being driven by idealism one must not forget that pragmatism is also of significance.Its high time the elite take the bull by the horns and hit the bulls eye or else everything would be nothing but an empty rhetoric which is just refining and fine tuning ones intellect but not making a difference to a common man.

Dynasticism seems inevitable in all vocations!

The Principal opposition party at the centre i.e the BJP time and again taken potshots at the congress party for having perpetuated dynasty and running a party like a family run business.In todays day and age 2nd generation folks may it be film industry, politics, sports, legal profession or medical field are having an edge over first generation folks in the same pursuit on account of having patronage from one's parent/guardian.Its not illegitimate or unethical to promote ones offspring in ones chosen vocation eiher to perpetuate the vocation or to bequeath one's legacy. The common man however gets worked up if this sort of phenomena exists in politics. In todays ratrace for a man to begin from scartch without any real backing is a herculean task and one should be a self-made man.


In Monarchic regimes of yesteryears dynasticism was legitimate and fair but with evolution of politics and emergence of new schools of thought and ideologies monarchy was rendered obsolete.Human nature is such that one would always want his/her offspring to embark the career path that himself/herself has been pursuing.


Inheriting wealth from ones father and squandering it mindlessly is an instance of dynasticism in which the 2nd generation doesn't live upto the expectations of the earlier generation. Its imperative that the 2nd generations inculcates in them the values, principles and ethics the earlier generation abided by and sweared by. One must ensure that something which is conferred upon them by dint of having taken birth in one family is a gift of fate and he/she must excercise great deal of diligence and shoulder responsibility to such an extent that goodwill and reputation remains intact or perhaps enhances rather than just taking pride in ones surname and paying lip service and becoming complacent in life. It is incumbent on every generation to create a 2nd line leadership to hand over the baton and to have someone to carry the torch.

Right to Strike: A controversial Modus Operandi

Strike as a means of protest has become a powerful tool in the hands of scores of people may it be trade unions, taxi and rickshaw pliers, government employees and public servants etc. Strikes always cannot be justified and doesn't become legitimate no matter the demands are just and legitimate. The government of the day and Powers that be when they become insensitive to the needs of workmen The workmen out of sheer frustration take recourse to Strike and hold a city, state also a nation to ransom by disrupting essential services and it can paralyse the law and order situation also it leads to social unrest.The law makers must be wary and circumspect before granting or making provision in any statute regarding strike as there is every possibility of it being misused by vested interests and people who have an axe to grind.


In a democracy rights are conferred upon citizens to air their grievances and complains in a manner which doesn't cause chaos and throws life out of gear. People in essential public services should be completely prohibited to go on strike and ones among them who go on strike should be dealt with an iron hand. An indifferent government is always responsible for Strike as the government of the day must address the grievances of workmen and try their utmost best to find a remedy for it rather than just paying lip service. United and Peaceful work force is necessary for a democracy to sustain and survive, As strikes pose a grave threat to law and order also it adversely affects the common man.



There can be no human who doesn't have grievances but the method of vocing their grievances should be within the parameters of law hence respect for rule of law is a prerequisite to jetisson strikes of any nature. A government who is fair to its citizens and committed to ever changing demands of its workforce is imperative to ensure a workforce and citizenry that is unperturbed and unagitated. So Right to strike needs regulation and must be for rarest of rare and gravest of grave reason and strikes at the drop of the hat over trivial issues must be opposed and condemned tooth and nail.

Mental Health a neglected and misconceived subjectmatter

The mind and mental framework of a person determines his demeanour and temperament.Human mind is extremely complex to understand, one can marvel at its wonders and repel at its quirks however one can never undermine the possibilities and probabilities mind can come out with and reach. In the Bhagvadgita it is stated mind can be mind's best friend and also man's greatest enemy. Arjun tells lord Krishna in The gita that he has the divine prowess to control the wind but not his mind. A hell lot of attention is paid to physiological functioning of the body and the biological aspects of human anatomy but scant regard is given to human mind which is unfortunate and tragedy of human kind.As the saying goes healthy body resides in a healthy mind.

Stress,depression,anxiety are disrupting the peace of mind of scores of people across the globe and seeking professional help from a psychiatrist, counsellor or any mental health professional is considered a taboo and there is stigma associated with it.Mental illness is like any other illness and if its untreated and unaddressed it can have disastrous consequences. Modern medical science through empirical evidence has probed into mental illnesses and have categorised and compartmentalised mental illnesses as per the symptoms, gravity and magnitude. Modern life style and this day and age of rat race and survival of the fitness has led to a fast paced life where people over work, drain themselves in excess and succummb to pressures at work and while shouldering domestic responsibilities this is why yoga is becoming popular people are taking recourse to it to find solace and respite.

Its High time civil society deals with mental health on a war footing to decrease the incidence of suicide, to help people tackle stress effectively and for peaceful existence. Government expenditure and budgetary allocation should be made for mental health concerns, mentally ill should be incorporated into gazettes of statutes relating to disability. Special attention should be given to children who are mentally ill in schools and colleges, state should provide the wherewithal for schools to have an inhouse counsellor, motivational lectures and self-help workshops should be organised in school. Parents and care givers must be sensitive to the plight of mentally ill and must learn to empathise with them. The right thinking members of civil society and activists must create awareness about mental health by abolishing the myths, put the stereotypes at rest and elimination misconceptions. At the end of the day promoting mental health is a collective endeavour.

Is caste based reservation genuine affirmative action or a farce

In the Indian society for centuries caste system has prevailed, No matter the constitution has ordained zero discrimination on the basis of caste yet there are people who wear their caste on their sleeve or harbour caste prejudices. Any kind of reservation for the schedule caste, schedule tribe and backward caste must ameliorate the condition of that category of people however our caste based reservation policy has not stood the test of time and that is the reason there is hue and cry whenever new castes are incorporated in the reservation category.Our policy makers link caste with economic status and are of the opinion there is a direct nexus between caste and class.

Defence services and Judiciary have been kept beyond the ambit of caste reservation as in such institutions merit must be the order of the day at any cost. The government must focus on reforming and structuring the primary education and schools in India rather than bringing institutions of eminence like IIT and IIM within the realm of reservation. The Right to Education Bill must be implemented in letter and spirit. Caste 'consciousness' is rampant esp in rural India and there is atrocities on dalits but there are laws to tackle such issues.The creamy Layer among the backward caste has rightly been excluded by the Apex court from the purview of reservation.

Reservation at the end of the day is populistic and a vote bank gimmick, It doesn't bring a substantial number of backward class people who have been marginalised to the mainstream as ones who avail reservation are not the needy and ones who are needy dont have access to the facilities of reservation on account of ignorance and deprivation. The government must make economic status as the yardstick for reservation rather than caste as caste biases exist but class biases are more grave and severe than caste prejudices. Class not caste should become a criteria for reservation only then the objective of affirmative action will become a ground reality.

Politics Vis-a-Vis Arts, culture and sports

Contemporary Politics seems to be inseperable from sports, cultural pursuits and issues pertaining to arts. Politicians are ubiquitous homo sapien sapiens, they spearhead temple trusts, sports bodies, they have managed to be at the helm of affairs in educational institutions, they patronise corporate czars to be parliamentarians. As a result of politicians maning such institutions decision making in these institutions is driven by political considerations and the larger insterest of the institution is compromised and relegated to vested interest of the powerbrokers. Sports not only builds character but also reveals it, culture and arts can promote peace and keep hostility at bay as creativity knows no boundaries.

Its sorry state of affairs for misdeeds of few deviants from our adversary neighbour, our politicians paint the entire nation with the same brush and take up cudgels against them. Films besides giving a fillip to titillation and obscenity are a tremendous medium to establish bond of peace and harmony with forebearance and tranquility. The more one sweats in peace, the less one bleeds in war. Its time the civil society uses sports and arts to rule out animosity and forge alliances of peace as no one irrespective of his/her school of thought undermines the nation's security concerns and in any way is lenient towards terrorists but in the quest of tackling terror one must not hold sports and arts at ransom which provide entertainment and joy to millions across both sides of the border.

jingoism and shrill nationalism is bigorty which poses a grave threat to integration of India so all endeavour must be made to wish it away. If a political outfit is opposed to having dialogue or intiating peace measures with pakistan, it must democratically demonstrate its protest and not take to violence and hooliganism which further creates fissures and adds fule to the fire in already strained relations between India and Pakistan so let us all take a solem vow and give peace a chance despite our patience being tried time and again! Jai Hind!