TURA: Lack of awareness about human rights in the country and the need to change people’s mindset were some of the key points raised by the chairperson of the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission, Dr. Justice A H Saikia during a daylong sensitisation and awareness programme on human rights held at the deputy commissioner’s DRDA hall in Tura on Thursday.
This was the first such awareness programme on human rights by the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission in the Garo Hills region and it attracted an audience of people from different backgrounds including judicial officers, executive magistrates, advocates, NGOs, citizens, students and activists alike.
“Even after more than six decades of our country’s independence we still do not know our rights. Awareness and sensitisation is very important for that,” Justice Saikia said.
He added that the Constitution of India under Article 51 provides every citizen to abide by its laws and to respect and protect the integrity as well as to promote harmony irrespective of caste, creed, religion and language.”We need to respect our national anthem, our national flag. For that we need to change people’s mindset otherwise, no matter how many laws are brought in nothing will change,” he added.
The former Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) and member of the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC), P J P Hanaman, who gave a power point presentation during the programme, informed the gathering about the constitution of the MHRC under Section 21 of the protection of Human Rights Act of 1993.
He said that Meghalaya is the third state in the north east after Assam and Tripura to have a human rights commission constituted in order to safeguard the rights of every individual.
“Right to one’s own religion and opinion, freedom of speech, non-discrimination on grounds of sex, work without exploitation, right to vote in elections, right to clean environment are some of the important human rights of citizens in our country,” Hanaman informed.
The district police chief of West Garo Hills, Dr M G R Kumar highlighted the necessary guidelines to be followed while registering FIRs with police and other formalities to be followed in connection with a case.
An important highlight of the programme was a human rights case study analysis by additional district magistrate A V D Shira of the gruesome and brutal murder of five people from a single family by villagers of Mrigre village under the then Rongram police outpost which after a prolong investigation the case has finally been charge sheeted.
