Chapter - 4 Civil and Political Rights A. Terrorism and Militancy 4.1 Today, the world at large and India in particular, is facing daunting challenges in the task of protecting human rights of common people. No country in the world can be said to be free from the deadly scourge of terrorism. With the grim spectre of terrorism continuing to target innocent and defenseless people, the task of protection of human rights has become ever challenging for the institutions around the world. 4.2 A peaceful society rests on the pillars of justice and individual accountability. The concern for justice has been of paramount importance while dealing with the vexed issue of terrorism. In most of the tragedies associated with terrorism, it has been mostly the common people, men, women and children, whose rights have been violated. 4.3 An increase in the activities of the terrorists and the Naxalites has made the role of security forces even more important. They have increasingly been called upon to control civil unrest, enhance security at important places and also to control and maintain law and order whenever required. 4.4 The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on 17December 1979 that all security personnel shall respect and protect human dignity and uphold the human rights of all persons. Towards this objective, they are expected to abide by the international conventions against torture and other cruel punishments and the principles of international cooperation in detention, arrest, and extraditions. 4.5 The Commission is of the firm view that proper observance of human rights is not a hindrance to the promotion of peace and security. Rather, it is an essential element in any worthwhile strategy to preserve peace and security and to defeat terrorism. The purpose of anti-terrorism measures must, therefore, be to protect democracy, rule of law and human rights, which are fundamental values of our society and the core values of the Constitution. 4.6 The Commission from time to time reiterates that terrorism creates an environment that destroys the right of people to live in freedom from fear. Terrorism’s goal is to destroy the very fabric of democracy. It has today emerged as a serious threat to the humanity. India remains an important ally in the global war on terrorism. India has been waging this war for over fifty years and has learnt a great deal from its successes and failures. The endeavour of the Commission is to call on the international community to co-operate in combating terrorism. At the same time, the Commission has always emphasized that in doing so, the approach should be humane, rational and secular. 4.7 The Commission has always taken up the cause of the victims of acts of terrorism and has taken steps for providing relief and rehabilitation to them. The Commission NHRC | 27