Human Rights: For Common People or for the Goons?: Mehreen Quadri

RIGHTS: the Principles of Freedom. Human Rights are gifted by the world to a child born in any part of the world- the Country which has accepted the Rights laid down by the United Nations. Human Rights are such Rights which are common to everyone-the common man and the powerful one, female and male, young or old, normal or abnormal; under all circumstances.

India, has also accepted the Human Rights. The citizens of India have been given the Right to use any of the human Rights. Few of the human Rights included in the Indian constitution are: Equality to all, non discrimination, gender equality and freedom of expressing one’s opinion.

Are we really free? Do we really have the Right to express whatever we feel? Are we actually allowed to use various forms of expression to express our opinion? Being an Indian, and knowing the reality of the society, we can frankly answer all of these questions.  Candle march, writing articles, putting our opinions on social networking sites, performing theater and making a movie on the topics we wish to- all these are our Rights but they are exploited on a great margin.

Safdar: A documentary on the legend Safdar Hashmi- a communal playwright, lyricist, director and famous for his contribution to the street theater. He went from place to place: villages, cities, different organizations, for spreading awareness and making people realize the importance of peace and brotherhood. Wasn’t this his Right? Was it against the law? On January 1, 1989, Safdar Hashmi was performing a street play in a village near Delhi, where he was stopped and brutally beaten by the goons of a political party. On the next day, he died at the age of 34.

The entire nation was moved and shocked with grief watching this non violent man, killed by violence. He was a man whom the entire nation adored and loved. If such a violation of law can happen with a man like him, what could we say about the common man? Are these human Rights only limited to the powerful leaders and their goons? Does the common man have no Right over them?

Rights are not for exploitation. Rights are minimum standards what a person deserves. People committing crimes like small robbery or cutting animals are putting behind the bars, but what about those who steal the essence of humanity and cut apart the human? more on mental level rather than physical.