Police must be trained to treat fellow humans as humans: Ejaz Ahmed Aslam

Mangalore, July 16: The Kannada translation of Human and Civil Rights Defenders' Resource Manual published by Shanti Prakashana, Mangalore, was released on Monday, July 16.

Speaking after releasing the book, Moulana Ejaz Ahmed Aslam, National Secretary, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), said that every human being has been granted certain rights by Almighty God, the Creator Himself, which cannot be denied to him/her. Quoting the Quranic verse which says that killing an innocent human being is like killing the whole of mankind and saving a life is like saving the whole of mankind, Mr. Aslam said that protection of a human being's life is his right and hence it is the responsibility of himself, the society and the state to ensure that every human being's life is protected.

Although the Constitution of India advocates social, political and economic justice for all citizens, many human rights violations are taking place in the country whether in the form of torture of innocent people in Chattisgarh and the like in the name of countering naxalism or Muslims in the name of war on terror or atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis.

The police must be trained to treat fellow humans as humans, he added.

Suresh Bhat Bakrabail, activist, who translated the book into Kannada, sharing his thoughts said that in spite of a directive from the United Nations Human Rights Commission, India has not taken any step to take off acts like AFSPA. In the name of police encounters, many innocent lives are being taken, he lamented. Cinema and news media too also need to understand that glorifying cops who are encounter specialists is not the right thing to do, he said.

B S Sharfuddin, Visting Faculty, IGNOU, Kuwait, who presided over the programme, said that subsequent governments have created a stereotype and complex in the minds of the people that they do not have any human rights and that they are powerless. Although great amount of hue and cry is made over the uniform civil code aspect in the Constitution's Directive Principles, other important things mentioned in Directive Principles concerning education and human rights are hardly talked about, he said.

Social accountability and religious conscience has to come about in people as well as rulers, Mr. Sharfuddin said, adding that Gandhiji had recommended for India, the rule of Hazrath Umar (ra), the second Caliph of Islam for his God-fearing administration and justice.

Dr. B K Ravindra, Principal, SDM Law College, Mangalore, in his address said that true human rights activism is one where activists work without any incentive of personal benefits. Although India possesses a great constitution, governments have not been able to work as per its norms and have been busy with caste politics and violation of human rights, he said.

Natesh Ullal, Spokesperson, Karavali Karnataka Janabhivraddhi Vedike, DK, said that the entire police and governmental system has become hollow and is being controlled by vested interests. Unless there is a mass movement and public outrage against atrocities and human rights violations, no one, not even human rights commissions could do much, he said.

The book's translation has been titled 'Manava Hakku Samrakshakarigondu Kaipidi'. The original English book was brought out by Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), Karnataka.