The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `People's vigil will help to prevent torture'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 27, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`People's vigil will help to prevent torture'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JUNE 26. More than laws and governmental action, eternal vigilance by people will go a long way in preventing torture, Ranjit Singh Kalha, Member, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said here on Saturday.

Inaugurating a conference organised by Campaign Against Torture (CAT) to coincide with the United Nations International Day for Solidarity with Victims of Torture, he said non-governmental organisations such as human rights groups and those in the medical and legal profession should play a vital role in preventing uncivilised and barbaric crime. The issue was agitating the civilised world for long, but still torture continued. Rapid strides in science and technology enabled sophistication in crime detection, but the same saw sophistication in torture too.

Mr. Kalha said torture, which could not be justified under any circumstance, destroyed deliberately not only the physical and emotional well-being of individuals, but also the will of the community. The United Nations (UN) condemned torture as one of the wiliest acts. The UN Secretary-General called upon all States to ratify the Convention against Torture. It was hoped that all the countries would ratify the convention. Torture was a crime in international law and it was binding on all States, irrespective of whether any nation had ratified the convention or not. On its part, the NHRC had repeatedly urged the Union Government to ratify the convention.

In a series of judgments, the Supreme Court outlined the ethical obligations of a law enforcement agency. It had made it clear that third degree methods were totally not permissible. The NHRC was also taking several steps to eliminate torture.

Voluntary organisations should play a major role in the prevention of torture. They should identify and document the crime and seek legal redress.

Speakers who included political party leaders, said unfortunately, the various forms of torture had come to stay and accepted by Indian society. The Godhra carnage and the Best Bakery case reflected the mindset of fascists. The United States which documented human rights violations round the world was itself guilty of gross violations as was evident from the torture perpetrated in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. Such acts should be put an end to.

G.K. Mani, Pattali Makkal Katchi MLA, said Tamil Nadu stood first in human rights violations and torture was going on unabated. Jawahirullah, president, Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, said the worst form of torture was inflicted by police on those in custody in the State. R. Nallakannu, Communist Party of India secretary, said perpetrators of torture should be made to realise that they could not continue with the crime for long.

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