Militant groups pose grave threat to human rights: NHRC chief

National Human Rights Commission Chairman Justice M N Venkatachaliah on Wednesday said a grave threat to human rights has arisen from the armed groups which resort to violence to achieve political goals. Quite often, these groups are under ''external inspiration''.

Speaking at the second Asia-Pacific regional workshop of national human rights institutions, the NHRC chairman said that terrorism generates an apprehension of national insecurity.

''It dwarfs the human rights ideologies and diverts resources away from social goals such as education, health, employment and protection of the weak and disabled, essential to sustain the values of liberal democracies.''

The three-day workshop was inaugurated by Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral and attended by delegates from 23 countries, besides representatives of the United Nations Human Rights's Commission and non-governmental organisations.

He said patriotism must have a two-fold meaning: the defence of the external boundaries of the nation, and, the defence of the dignity and worth of each of its citizens -- the internal boundaries that each must learn to respect and protect.

The extent to which national institutions achieve their purpose will depend on their intrinsic worth and character, their legal framework and more importantly on the space and respect accorded to them by the government. Good governance requires that the national institutions discharge their appointed role with integrity and fearlessness, he said.

Justice Venkatachaliah said, ''The great disparity between the North and the South is endangering the ethical foundations of our planet. It is rightly said that poverty by itself is a human rights's violation.''

In her address, New Zealand's Human Rights's Commission's Chief Commissioner Pamela Jefferies Obe said India has played a leading role in the promulgation of the universal declaration of human rights.

Obe said that poverty, unemployment, social disintegration and pockets of disadvantage are found in all countries. ''These issues are inevitably linked to peace and security issues in the region.''

UNI

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