Human Rights Day is celebrated each year on 10th December to commemorate the adoption of Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Human rights are never granted nor given, they are owned since birth among every human being around the globe.
Human rights are extremely important because they provide fairness and equality in our society. Without human rights, society would go back to ancient times in terms of morality. To demonstrate just how important human rights are, let’s imagine a world where human rights do not exist.
Genocide and slavery would become a thing. War would become very common and we would have killed all humans by now because of nuclear weapons. Instead of working 9–5, you would be enslaved and working 13 hour days with little pay, depending on your job. Abuse in the work place would be rampant and no institution would be there to stop it. The government would be putting chemicals in your water and food without your knowledge. The justice system would be terrible. People would be murdered and “disappeared” by the government for being “political opponents”. There would be no free speech, no freedom of any sort. Everything would be controlled and censored. War would become just another fact of life. Everyone would be poorer than they are now and the wealth hoarded by the elite would be even greater than it is today. Torture and death would become a fact of life. Torture would be used as a form of intimidation.
To sum up, a society without human rights is a society in a state of chaos. A state without human rights would be anarchy.
It is absolutely appropriate to say that human Rights are essence of life because in absence of these rights it has been impossible to live a dignified life.
According to the Gita, he who has no ill will to any being, who is friendly and compassionate, who is free from egoism and self sense and who is even-minded in pain and pleasure and patient is dear to God. It also says that divinity in humans is represented by the virtues of non-violence, truth, freedom from anger, renunciation, aversion to fault-finding, compassion to living being, freedom from covetousness, gentleness, modesty and steadiness- the qualities that a good human being ought to have.
The historical account of ancient Bharat proves beyond doubt that human rights were as muck manifest in the ancient Hindu and Islamic civilizations as in the European Christian civilizations. Ashoka, the prophet Mohammed and Akbar cannot be excluded from the genealogy of human rights.
Indian constitution provides two kinds of rights fundamental rights (part III) and other constitutional rights to citizens and some also to non citizens. Rights like social equality, equality of opportunity, no racial and other discrimination, right to life and personal liberty, rights of accused have all their origin in basic human rights. Many of the principles of double jeopardy (Article 20), right to human conditions of life (Article 22) have also been recognised as human rights in UDHR ( United Nations Declaration Of Human Rights, 1948) and other international conventions.
Human rights tells people that one cannot call a society a good and a just society until all its citizens enjoy these human rights. The human rights laws aims at eliminating unjust discrimination against any human being.
The concept of Human rights is based on the principle of human solidarity, cooperation, and development and access of all to the common heritage of humankind.
The issue of Women empowerment and inequality have been taken up as a Human rights issue. Several institutions, organizations are working hard to create awareness among the masses. It is high time that every person within the society come forward in support women in her fight for justice. She should be treated at par with men all venues of social framework. Her position need to be elevated.
Ironically, even today, there are several instances of human rights violation at various places of the world. There can be no permanent and regular prosperity of human beings unless every country or nation creates such conditions in which human rights are enjoyed by its natives.
Human Rights are just ideas. What gives them strength is the people willing to fight for the ideas if necessary to the death of the tyrant.
The bill of human rights is just a piece of paper without the will of the people to act and defend it.
If you allow the violation of the human rights of another, you ultimately put yourself at risk, because there is no predicting when the violations will be turned against you.
So, respect and fight for the rights of everyone.
Happy International Human Rights Day!