Human rights paramount for democracy to flourish: Vice President

 Human rights paramount for democracy to flourish: Vice President

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

The Vice President said that various governance reforms and positive initiatives, especially in the health and economic sectors, have nurtured human rights as the backbone. "In Human Rights Violations, We Must Take Side"

New Delhi: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday said that human rights are paramount for democracy to flourish.

Addressing the 30th Foundation Day celebrations of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Vice President said that every citizen should work towards the protection and promotion of the human rights of others as it is the surest guarantee of protection of their own human rights.

He said that NHRC is the custodian of human rights of the deprived and weaker sections of the society. "The media should highlight the Commission's advice to the public prominently as it will go a long way in promoting the human rights cause in the country."

The Vice President further said that various governance reforms and positive initiatives, especially in the health and economic sectors, have nurtured human rights as the backbone. "In case of destruction of human rights, we must take sides. Silence always encourages the oppressor, never the oppressed. There is no choice but to be proactive and we must intervene."

Seeing the compromise with human rights in the event of corruption, he said that the poor and vulnerable are easy victims of this menace. “We need to live in harmony and respect the rights of all living beings by protecting our natural environment. We must discharge our duty under Article 51A (g) of our constitution which mandates every citizen to protect the natural environment. and commands to improve and have compassion for living beings."