Writ Petition (Crl) Miscellaneous No.248WQ8concerning the aetting up of a State
Human Rights Commlssion in Uttar Pradesh.
In addition, the Commission is involved In a caae before the District Court, Delhi in
respect of a complaint under &&an 183 IPC against WShri Harbhajan Singh, Dayanandand
Vipin Kumar who made Wse statsments bkre an lnqulry Offlc8r appointedby the Commission
to probe into the daath In custody of Shrl Madm Lal.
220 The rrtruggle fw the promotion and p r o t e d h of human rights inevitably requires, in
#Has measure, a challengingof entrenched 8ttitudes that are inimicable to the proper respect
ol,such rights.
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a. ,ln civilizational terms, this mean8 the shedding and denouncing of accretions and
that, over time, haw wounded and fractured our society, leaving m e more equal
than h e r s , in grievous violation of human rights norms and of acceptable standards of equity
and justice. It ia not necessary, at this stage, to expound on the deep soaietal injustices
sa-
inflicted on Dalits and Scheduled Tribs, or the patriarchal biases that, too often,have victimized
the girl child and womsn In our country. These are only too well known. The Cornmisslon must
deal frontally wkh t h e prejudices and encourage others to do so.
2.22 In political terms, we must act with greater fidelity to the vision of the Founding Fathers
of our Republig, who gwre the nation a Constitution that would guarantee the Fundamental
Rights of all mgardlw of caste, creed, gender, place of birth or any other such invidious
distinction - and who made these rlghts non-derogableand justiciable. There is great need to
uphold this brare and wrmpelling vision with consistency and not waiver for reasons of political
expediency.
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2-23 In administratha terms, there is need for the diligence, will and stamina to reform and
restructure those instruments of governance that are in danger of atrophy and that daily outrage
the dlgnity and worth of those who come in contact with them.
In economic, social and cultural terms, there is need for equal courage, in order to
&a1 with the challenges of our richly pluralistic society which is, at once, a swrce of delight
and uniquenwa but which, if abused or manipulated, can no less be a cause of violence and
despair.
2.24
2.25
Human r w eoucatlon, in its broadest sense, holds the key to attitudinal change.
This is why the Commlssion has been seeking, with the Ministry of Human Resource