New Delhi: Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Justice Arun Mishra (retd) on Thursday said that State Human Rights Bodies may intervene locally in issues such as climate change and environmental degradation that pose a threat to people’s right to life. Justice Mishra was speaking at the hybrid mode of the Common Programme Committee of the NHRC and State Human Rights Commissions (SHRCs).
The Common Programme Committee was constituted in the last meeting of the NHRC-SHRCs on October 13 last year with the aim to develop a common action programme to work in synergy for the promotion and protection of human rights in the country.
Justice Mishra said that strengthening of SHRCs in terms of manpower, financial and infrastructure resources is necessary and requested all the SHRCs to specifically mention their issues so that the NHRC may take it up with the State governments concerned .
He said that there are several areas concerning human rights wherein the SHRC may intervene locally. These include issues of environmental degradation that poses a threat to people's right to life. He said that water, soil and river pollution deforestation are a matter of concern for sustainable development. The SHRC may highlight such issues and take up with the local authorities for correctional measures to address the challenges related to climate change right from the grassroots to help evolve, construct and strengthen a nationwide movement.
Several suggestions include the creation of a mental health wing in Prisons and Correctional Homes, starting a Human Rights app by all the Commissions as already put in place by some others, boarding HRCNet portal of the NHRC by all the SHRCs to reduce duplication of complaints and fast-tracking and processing thereof were made. Highlighting the importance of such dialogues, the NHRC Chairperson said that all the suggestions will be further fine-tuned to finalise a common action plan for the promotion and protection of human rights throughout the country.
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