Karnataka - Bangalore   

NHRC got the highest number of complaints in 2007-08

BANGALORE: The National Human Rights Commission received a record number of 82,700 complaints related to human rights violations this year.

Disclosing this at a function organised by various human rights groups here on Sunday to felicitate him on demitting office as NHRC member, Shivaraj V. Patil said the number of complaints received during the year was the highest since the commission was set up in 1993. The number of complaints being received by the commission was on the rise although, interestingly, the commission had received only 493 complaints in the first year of its inception.

Expressing concern that it would be difficult for the commission alone to tackle human rights issues as the number of complaints was huge, he said cooperation from the citizens concerned, NGOs and existence of honest law-enforcing agency, pro-active judiciary and a meaningful as well as constructive media was essential to handle the issue.

Pointing out that the NHRC was only a recommendatory body and not a law enforcement authority, Mr. Patil said: “Though the commission did not have teeth, it had strong dentures.” There will be pressure from public as well as Opposition parties on the government to accept our recommendations which are in public domain. Besides, we have to lay our annual reports before Parliament while the government will have to respond with an action taken report. Nearly 95 per cent of the Commission’s recommendations have been implemented so far.”

The former Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachalaiah stressed the need for giving importance to upholding human dignity. “The bubbles of economic development will evaporate if the country fails to make human rights its central theme and build other systems around it. Human dignity is more important than other things,” he said.

The highlight of the programme was the presence of a large number of victims of atrocities allegedly perpetrated by the Special Task Force constituted to nab forest brigand Veerappan. Mr. Patil had played a key role in getting compensation to a large number of such victims.

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