Human Right Defenders Plays Pivotal Role: HRF

Human Right Defenders plays a pivotal role in protection of human right even working against all odds. Due to increased vigilant role played by Human Right Defenders in remote areas there is a demonstrative increase of development. The natural and constitutional rights of common man is more feasible now due to active role and contribution of human rights defenders.

The country has witnessed a number of human rights violations in different areas in various forms causing suffering to the people who are also against the principle and values of our Constitution. Activists, NGOs, Peoples’ Forums and Human Rights organizations who are working for the promotion and protection of rights of the people are seen harassed or tortured by the State and non-State actors.

The State lacks a law to protect those defenders and a proper coordination among the various stakeholders who are the key players for implementation of various poverty alleviation program at grassroot level and acts as protector of the rights of citizens.

The above statements emerged in an one day training program on human rights for Block and District Level Human Rights Monitors at Redcross Bhawan, Bhubaneswar   organised by Human Right Front (HRF) with support from National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) New Delhi.

The defenders were trained on various aspects of human rights starting from basic human rights to human rights laws, national and international covenants on human rights, fact finding, monitoring and intervention mechanism, role of media for promotion and protection of human rights, motivational and behavioural approach of defenders, establishing network among different human rights defenders and agencies, role of NHRC and other human rights institutions etc.

An action plan had formulated to carry out various human rights work in the State like strengthening grievance redressal and justice delivery system, develop victim and defender protection mechanism, advocacy for whistle blower protection law, access to human rights institutions, educating on human rights to different stake holders , establishing network and coordination among human rights defenders and agencies etc.

The daylong program was coordinated by Manoj Jena ,the chairperson of Human Rights Front (HRF) in presence of guests and resource persons like Dr Bikash Das, president, CLAP, Senior journalist Rabi Das, RTI activist Pradip Pradhan, Human Rights activist Baghambar Pattnaik, Chandranath Dani,Senior Journalist Saiprasan, academician Er Laxmikant Rath, Prominent defenders like Somnath Pattnaik, Sankar Panigrahi, Srinibash Sahoo,Debendra Bag, Gayadhar Malik etc. Sandeep Mohanty of Human Right Front offered Vote of Thanks in the end of the programme.