The Hindu : National : India needs no certificate on human rights: Baig

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Wednesday, Aug 02, 2006

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India needs no certificate on human rights: Baig

Shujaat Bukhari

Adjournment motion on SHRC Chairman's resignation moved in J&K Assembly

SRINAGAR: Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Muzaffar Hussain Baig on Tuesday said India did not need a certificate on human rights from the United States and the United Kingdom, which had broken records of such violations in Iraq.

Responding to an adjournment motion moved by the National Conference in the Assembly on the resignation of State Human Rights Commission chairman Justice A.M. Mir, he said violations did take place while dealing with militancy. But "we do not need a certificate from the U.S. or the U.K. on the human rights issue. We know what the U.S. is doing in Iraq and how a civilian was shot six times after being dragged out of a train in London."

"The Indian Army is neither a rogue army nor is the J & K police a vagabond police. We cannot imagine the Indian Army doing even on Doomsday what the U.S. is doing in Iraq."

Human rights was a complex issue and the Government was trying its best to minimise the violations, Mr. Baig said. "Zero tolerance means to put an end to violations as far as possible."

On the SHRC chairman's allegations that the Government was non-serious on the issue and that the Commission's recommendations were not taken note of, he said: "This is not true."

Mr. Baig said all 440 recommendations received from the SHRC from 2001-06 were processed by the Home Department and passed on to the Deputy Commissioners concerned. "There are some technical difficulties at their level. That is why relief was sanctioned in 70 cases only."

NC leaders Abdur Rahim Rather, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mehboob Baig, and Shariefuddin Shariq took the Government to task for its non-serious approach towards the issue of human rights.

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