Kohima, April 14 (MExN): The Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) today flayed the Nagaland Government’s failure to set up ‘State Human Rights Commission’ (SHRC) since its inception said that it is “unconstitutional and amounts to negligence and had also disregarded the value of ‘Human Rights’ in the State.”
A press release from NVCO’s Media Cell also indicated that despite suggestion from time to time from various quarters, the issue is being neglected.
For instance, it informed that during on official visit of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), New Delhi to Nagaland few years back, the Commission had recommended incorporation of ‘Human Rights Education’ into NBSE syllabus and asked the NGOs to create more awareness on Human Rights education particularly to the students.
The former Governor of Nagaland had also asked the State Government to set up SHRC at the earliest, it said.
The NVCO President and a human rights activist, Advocate Kezhokhoto Savi in one of the human rights seminars had asked the State Government – “Are the people of Nagaland literate enough on human rights and are they able to stand for their own rights and give due respect to the rights of others?” it added.
However, the answer was ‘No” and the serious concern was that there was an urgent need to programme a vigorous defence and promotion of human rights, the NVCO stated.
It further noted that the educational institutions, colleges and churches are to play an active role in promoting peace, justice and social transformation.
Consequently, the NVCO maintained that general ‘human rights’ scenario in Nagaland is a matter of great concern, highlighting number of past incidents, which among others included, recoveries of 9 dead bodies Nagaland Police at Pachaspura near Chümoukedima on January 3, 2014, the situation of Rengma Nagas of Karbi Anglong in 2013, March 5, 2015 incident in Dimapur, ULB incidents, and the most Lamhainamdi incident on March 22 this year.
It implied that all those incidents remain ‘unresolved.’
Regarding the Lamhainamdi incident it questioned whether the commission of the “heinous crime would be fairly investigated, prosecuted and punished” though the Home Minister, who is also the Dy. Chief Minister Nagaland, has condemned the incident next day in strongest term with an assurance of action.
“The NVCO questioned the concerned public servants, minister, SIT and competent authority as to whether the commission of this heinous crime would be fairly investigated, prosecuted and punished the so called culprits/accused accordance with the law of the land,” it added.
“What would be the stand of Human Rights” or what would be the position of ‘Public Peace and Tranquility of the State’ if this heinous crime simply ended like the earlier incidents,” it added.
The NVCO queried could it be fair and justice if such cases of heinous crime and barbaric killing would be ended without awarded befitting punishment?, it added.
In addition, it maintained that Nagaland is an example of being a “slaughter house of human rights.”
Atrocities on women at home and workplace, insurgency, problems of drugs, rape, alcoholism, child abuse, extortion, delay in receiving justice and growth of non-humanitarian values are dear indication of violation of human rights, it said.
One of the main problems faced by the citizens of this state is the existence of several Naga political groups and also the Central Government imposing the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958, amended in 1972, the latter a major theme of the human rights discourse in North East and considered North-East as ‘draconian’, it pointed out.
Lamenting that knowledge about human rights is not popular among the citizens of Nagaland, the NVCO noted that rights and duties are one of the primary concerns of the human civilization and are closely connected with liberty, development, dignity, responsibility and welfare of the general community.
As a result, violation of human rights is so common in Nagaland that the purpose of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is defeated considerable number of times, it added.
