The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that Justice has and must continue to remain the first principle of social and political institutions. He was addressing the Human Rights Day, here today. The Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission, Shri Justice H.L. Dattu and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.The Vice President said that the Human Rights Day observed on 10 December every year commemorates the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He further said that India has been unequivocal in its commitment to the preservation and protection of human rights globally as well as within the country. It is a signatory to several of the core international human rights and International Labour Organizations conventions, he added.The Vice President said that our commitment for human rights is part of our culture from time immemorial it always respected others Human Rights. We have a noble saying called “Sarve Janah Sukhino Bhavantu,”; we believe in the principle of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - the entire Universe is one Family”, he added.The Vice President said that civil rights, Minority rights and others are guaranteed in India not just because they are in the constitution, they are guaranteed because they are part of our DNA. “Secularism which got included in the constitution at a later stage is ingrained in our DNA from the beginning,” India as a country has no history of aggression of any kind and we tried to assimilate all the people who have come here, he added.
The Vice President said that ballot is powerful than bullet and power cannot be gained with barrel of gun. You have no right to kill others and get protected under Human Rights, he questioned. The Vice President said that women empowerment and gender equality are important issues for our democracy as the position of women is still precarious, especially in rural areas. He further said that gender inequality is among the key social disparities that keeps large numbers of women on the margin of ‘new India’. Poor literacy rates and discrimination is education against the girl child have contributed to enhancing the vulnerability of women in society, opined. He expressed his happiness that programmes like ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ are being taken up responding to these challenges.The Vice President said that Indian democracy has also been confronted with terrorism and extremist violence both of which tend to trample upon the right to life and liberty of individuals. Any violence and senseless killings are the worst forms of violation of human rights and need to be dealt with accordingly, he added.