By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 10: Newly appointed Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court, Justice Sanjib Banerjee, has contended that caste system and suppression of women are an inheritance of a post-colonial feudal culture, which one cannot take pride in.
Justice Banerjee said this while addressing a programme on Friday, which was organised at the State Convention Centre to mark the International Human Rights Day. The programme was organised by the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission on the theme ‘Equality — Reducing Inequalities, Advancing Human Rights’.
To emphasize his point Justice Banerjee quoted Eleanor Roosevelt, an advocate of human rights and liberal causes who said, “Where after all do human rights begin? In small places close to home so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends, the factory farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”
Justice Banerjee, in his address, rued the prevalence of caste system and suppression of women, which, he argued, are an inheritance of a post-colonial feudal culture — something one cannot be proud of.
“Coming down heavily on the VIP culture, which separates those in power from the ‘hoi-polloi’ in terms of the way they conduct themselves and the extent of privileges they enjoy, he said that it is futile to demolish mass structure only to feed the VIP culture of the upper caste of those in authority.”
Accentuating the need to safeguard the diversity within the homogeneous identity of India, Justice Banerjee said, “While India boasts of many modern amenities, hunger, poverty, lack of shelter and healthcare have not been addressed adequately.”
He also touched upon the role of the Judiciary to safeguard individual’s right to dignity.
Stating that Human Rights are centered on the very notion of peace and development, Justice Banerjee said that promotion of political rights alone will not lead to full enjoyment of human rights; economic, social, and cultural rights are equally important.
Chairperson, Meghalaya Human Rights Commission, Justice T Vaiphei said history is testimony to eternal conflict between the state and the rights of citizens. He said that insurgency/extremism reduce the scope for free exercise of human rights as they are violated with impunity. Stating that the as a Commission they could take up sou-moto cases but award of compensation to those whose rights are violated is paid for by the state.
Others who spoke on the occasion included High Court Judge, HS Thangkhiew, Members of the Human Rights Commission, Ms B Giri, PHP Hanaman and senior members of the Bar Association.
DLSA
A similar programme to observe International Human Rights Day was organised by East Khasi Hills District Legal Services Authority in collaboration with Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority and Bosco Integrated Development Society, Shillong, under the aegis of National Legal Services Authority.
As part of the programme, street plays were enacted at Motphran on child rights and on the roles and functions of the Legal Services Authority.
“The street plays were presented by the students of the Social Work Department, St. Edmund’s College, Shillong and Institute of Integrated Professional Studies (IIPS), Shillong,” a statement in this regard said.
Lady Keane College
The nodal centre for Human Rights of Lady Keane College, too, observed the day during which the students were enlightened on the history, nature and the value of Human Rights.
Sankardev College
Similarly, the IQAC of Sankardev College, Shillong, joined the International Human Rights observance by holding a webinar on the theme ‘Reproductive Choice of Women: A Fundamental Right’.
According to a statement, the programme was attended by teachers, students, medical professionals and scholars from different fields.
“Experts working exclusively on gender issues were the resource persons during the webinar, which brought to light many contemporary issues on gender discourses which are of relevant importance to the individual in particular and the society in general,” the statement said.