Preface The defence of human rights is, In essence, the defence of human dignity. This is the high purpose that the National Human Rights Commission must serve. It is a purpose that derives not only from the Statute of the Commission but from the Constitution itself, for Article 21 of the Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, means that all who live in India have a right to a life with human dignity. This majestic and expansive vision of the Constitution Is more easily acclaimed than attained. And certainly the Commission, whose duty it Is to strive for the fulfilment of that vision, cannot but be acutely aware of the great distance that must be traversed to come near to it. The Annual Reports of the Commission, including this Report, give an account of the Incremental efforts of the Commission to reach out towards that goal. They recount the positions taken by the Commission on a range of matters, as also its achievements, frustrations and disappointments. For ease of reference, the principal Recommendations and Observations made In the present Report may be seen in summary form at the end of the Report in Chapter 16. With every passing year, and this is the eighth Annual Report, the conviction has grown In the Commission that the right to a life with human dignity requires respect for the totality of the human person. And this has led to a further conclusion: it is essential for the Commission to focus, in equal ANNUAL REPORT 2000-2001