Mangalore, August 31: Amnesty International (AI) is putting its effort to make India sign the pact of moratorium on executions with a view to abolish death penalty.
AI secretary general Salil Shetty said that 135 nations in the world have already established moratorium on execution. "AI opposes death penalty worldwide because it violates the right to life and other human rights. We will build pressure on India to sign moratorium pact on execution," he said acknowledging the felicitation extended to him by Salil Shetty Felicitation Committee here on Tuesday.
AI, which has three million members campaigning for human rights in over 150 countries, aims to work together with full spectrum of people's organisations in India in new, innovative ways to effect real changes, Salil said.
"We are working towards the release of hundreds of prisoners in India, including social activist Binayak Sen, who are being put behind bars without fair trial. We also will launch battle against torture in police stations. We do not have right code of conduct for police in India," he lamented.
India is a democratic nation, but that does not mean that our nation is free from issues related human rights. China too monitors human rights violation, even though it is not a democratic nation,'' he said.
Love for Tulu
Salil, who is a Mangalorean, did not forget his mother tongue even after becoming the secretary general of AI. In the beginning of his speech, he said, "organising committeegu solmelu panduth shuru malpuve (I shall start my speech after thanking organisers).
Throughout his speech, he recalled his childhood and boyhood days of eating 'golibaje' and learning agriculture and culture. He expressed his desire to watch Tulu movie of Vijayakumar Kodiyalbail "Oiryardori Asal".
"This land has produced several famous persons from underworld to Miss World. I would like to call Aishwarya Rai my sister, but looking at my face people may not believe it," Salil said in mirth.
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