‘Human Rights are Universal & Not Just Western as termed by HM’- Human Rights Activist Fr Cedric Prakash SJ
- ‘Human Rights is Universal & Not Just Western as termed by Home Minister Amit Shah which is ‘Baseless’and ‘Ridiculous’- said Human Rights Activist Fr Cedric Prakash SJ from Ahmedabad, during his talk on the topic ‘India at the Tipping Point’ organized by Citizen Forum for Mangaluru Development, at Roshni Nilaya, Mangaluru on Monday, 14 October.
Mangaluru: Slamming at Home Minister Amit Shah’s comment that ‘Human Rights is Totally Western’ , Fr Cedric Prakash SJ, a eminent Human Rights activist from Ahemdabad, who was in Mangaluru to deliver a talk on “India at the Tipping Point’organized by Citizen Forum for Mangaluru Development, at Roshni Nilaya School of Social work, Mangaluru on 14 October said, “Amit Shah’s remark on Human Right is absolutely baseless and ridiculous. There is nothing Western or Eastern about Human rights- Human Rights are universal. If our beloved Home Minister says that Human Rights is Western, is it okay for someone or a mob to go ahead and lynch a person just because of his appearance, his ethnicity, his colour or his attire? is that not a violation of Human Rights? questioned Fr Cedric.
Eminent Human Rights activist Fr Cedric Prakash was brilliant when he held a packed audience spell-bound in a talk ‘India at the Tipping Point’. The audience was predominately mixed comprising of several citizens from Mangaluru, besides faculty and students of Roshni Nilaya. Fr Prakash is well-known for his works on human rights, justice, inter-religious dialogue and peace. For his work, he has received several national and international awards which include the ‘Kabir Puraskar’ from the President of India and the ‘Legion of Honour’ from the President of France. Illustrating his fiery speech with hard and incontrovertible facts Fr Prakash stated that India is at the tipping point.
INDIA IS AT THE TIPPING POINT-
When the economy is in the doldrums; just shambles! The Government has taken away the precious financial reserves from the Reserve Bank of India. When the taxes which the corporate sector has to pay are lessened. When the GDP has reached an all-time low. When large industries like those that manufacture automobiles have to close down suddenly. When thousands of workers are laid–off suddenly. When unemployment has reached an all-time high. When major international financial institutions and even world-renowned economists have warned of an impending economic collapse; when some rich become richer overnight and the poor, poorer; and when teeming millions despair to eke out a daily meal; when farmers continue to commit suicide. Recession is at an all-time high.
India is at the tipping point-
When the Home Minister of India says “that western standards of human rights should not be applied to matters pertaining to India”. The Home Minister does not realize that India is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of 10 December 1948. These rights are not “western’ but applicable to the whole world. The UDHR also influenced the rights and freedom guaranteed in the Constitution of India dated 26 November 1949
India is at the tipping point-
When Constitutional and independent bodies , like the CBI, the ECI, the Information Commission which are meant to be totally impartial and objective are made impotent; by the way they conduct themselves, they send a strong message to the country: that they have become ‘caged parrots’- which they are just tools of a vindictive Government! The way the Government has been interfering in the judiciary and the way the judiciary has succumbed and become pliable to the whims and fancies of the powers and other vested interests – is there for all to see.
India is at the tipping point-
When lynching has become the ‘new normal’. Nothing seems to happen to the criminals responsible for the lynchings since they belong to the Hindutva brigade; Tabrez Ansari was lynched in Jharkhand by a mob on 17 June and he died a few days later. On 10 September the Jharkhand police dropped murder charges on all the eleven accused of killing him citing the ‘autopsy report’ which says that Ansari died of a ‘cardiac arrest’. The RSS Supremo has the audacity to state on Dussehra day that lynching is ‘alien’ to the country and has its roots in the Bible!
India is at the tipping point-
When the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Muzaffarpur Bihar, order the police to file an FIR on sedition charges against forty-nine eminent personalities of the country based on a 23 July ‘Open Letter’ they had written to the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. The petitioner had accused the signatories of having “tarnished the image of the country and undermined the impressive performance of the prime minister”, besides “supporting secessionist tendencies”. The order by the CJM is a blatant case of judicial overreach or downright sycophancy.
India is at the tipping point-
When Minorities are systematically targeted: Muslims, Christians and others continue to be at the receiving end of hate and violence. Every effort is being made to ensure majoritarianism and ultimately to impose the ‘Hindutva’ agenda on the nation. So, the Prime Minister speaks about family planning, bringing in national anti-conversion law, makes Parliament to abolish the ‘triple talaq’, and wants to curb foreign funds to certain NGOs. The building of the ‘Ram Temple’ has a new impetus! There is the growing talk of a ‘Uniform Civil Code’.
On 16 September, the Government announced a tightening of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) norms: henceforward, each functionary and member of a nongovernmental organization (NGO) seeking registration under FCRA will have to file an affidavit declaring that “the individual has not been involved in any act of religious conversion or prosecuted for communal disharmony”. A most ridiculous condition but patently against the minorities! All the utterances and actions are part of a well-calculated strategy! In a hard-hitting interview with a TV channel recently the well-known economist Raghuram Rajan said that “Majoritarianism is taking India down a dark and uncertain path…”
India is at the tipping point-
When for over two months now, Kashmir after the unconstitutional abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A is on complete lockdown. Kashmiris are denied basic rights and freedom. They are denied their freedom of speech and expression and of movement. The new ‘Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act – UAPA 2019 (Amendment Act)’ clearly infringes on the fundamental rights of citizens. The ignominy heaped on women and children of our country continues unabated! Millions of our children are still deprived of their childhood! The Education system is tampered with to allow manipulations of innocent minds through a hidden and divisive agenda. From farmers to sewage workers; from those who receive unjust wages to the unemployed – the vicious circle of poverty and injustice is hardly addressed! In fact, there is apparently a concerted effort to keep millions of people in a dehumanized condition.
India is at the tipping point-
Harassment, intimidation and threats to human rights defenders, media personnel, intellectuals and other activists, who have the courage to take a stand for truth and justice, continue with frightening regularity. Some are killed; some like those allegedly involved in the Bhima-Koregaon case are jailed or even judges of the Supreme Court ‘rescue’ themselves from hearing a bail application without citing a reason. Freedom of speech and expression, the right to dissent is almost a thing of the past in an extremely autocratic atmosphere. Most of the print and electronic media of the country is muzzled, co-opted or bought up.
India is at the tipping point-
When fringe elements subscribing to the “Hindutva’ ideology decide what one should wear and eat; read and write; speak and see and even worship. Education is becoming more narrower. Fascism seems to have permeated every strata of society. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a case in point fanning exclusivism, jingoism and xenophobia. The ‘us’ and ‘them’ seems to be gaining ground everywhere.
India is at the tipping point-
When the care of the environment and to our fragile ecosystems is given lip service. No one takes the recommendations of the VN Gadgil Report seriously. The torrential rains, floods, famine, droughts are there for all to experience.
While concluding his talk, Fr Cedric said that Citizens must wake up and constructively address the many ills that plague the country. India desperately needs committed citizens to come out visibly and vocally and take an unequivocal stand against human rights violations and other injustices. Following his talk there was an interaction with the audience, when a bunch of people asked Fr Cedric on issues related to corruption, hate, Abrogation of Article 370, and there was one person in the audience who went on to say that the spread of Dengue by mosquitoes which is killing citizens is the issue we need to discuss rather than any other topic. Some took it as a joke, while others thought the question raised by Nigel Albuquerque, the founder member of MCC Civic group on Mosquito was serious?
Replying to the person who asked about the abrogation of Article 370, Fr Cedric said, “The people of Kashmir, the so-called Constitution Assembly need to be consulted on this. The Centre’s action on this issue is blatantly unconstitutional. Why was such a decision taken in a surreptitious way? My stand on this issue is not pro or against, instead, about the constitutional provisions related to it. Why people of Jammu and Kashmir have to be restricted from their freedom of speech and expression? The decision on abrogation of Article 370 by the Centre is senseless”.
The programme began with a prayer by the students of Roshni Nilaya, followed by the welcome address by Swathi of MSW. The vote of thanks was delivered by Srinidhi-the president of the Student Council of Roshni Nilaya, and Nidhi compered the programme. Dignitaries seated with Fr Cedric Prakash SJ on the dais were- Dr Jenis Mary-Vice Principal of Roshni Nilaya, Dr Meena Monteiro-Dean Dept of MSW at Roshni Nilaya and Vidya Dinker- coordinator of Citizens Forum for Mangaluru development.
ABOUT FR CEDRIC PRAKASH SJ :
Fr. Cedric Prakash Sj, born in Mangaluru, is a human rights activist and a Jesuit priest based in the city of Ahmedabad. He is the director of Prashant, the Ahmedabad-based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace. He was named Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, one of the highest French civilian awards, acknowledging his commitment to the defence and the promotion of Human Rights in India. In January 2016, Cedric shifted his base to Beirut, Lebanon.
Other than this, Fr. Prakash has also been awarded numerous other awards – the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award presented for Humanitarian Work by the Indian Muslim Council, USA in 2003, the Kabir Puraskar conferred on him by the President of India for his work in the promotion of Communal Harmony and Peace in 1995, and the Minorities Rights Award by the National Commission for Minorities of the Government of India in 2006. He was one of the recipients of Mother Teresa Awards for Social Justice in 2013. He is a regular contributor of articles to Mangalorean.com.
