Which article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights describes mosty suitably the human rights problems in your country (India)?
In spite oof being the largest democracy of the world, India has enormous problems depicting violations of almost all articles of the Universal declaration of Human Rihghts. And yet, I think the article 3 which refers to rigght to life, liberty and security of persons, when approprately and not narrowly interpreted, addresses major parts (?) of our problem.
What is the influence of the neighboring countries to the human rights problems in your country (India)?
There has been, more often thean not, either distrubed relations or a war in the Indian's subcontinent. This has resulted into illegal detainment of citizens of one country crossing borders such as Indian and Pakistan fisher to NC (?); eviction and attacks on the imigrants across borders such as on Chakmas from bangla Desh living in Arunachal Pradesh state in India as also aa persistent problem of India and Kashmere where lives of hundreds are lost to the irrational, unjust communalism instigated by the national government.
Wars such as the one in 1965 created the problem of huge influx of refugees from Bangla Desh who, in spited some efforts and statutory as wll as non-governmental support, couldn't have their rights fully protected; while some of them settled in Maharashtra e. g. are even today facing unjust uprootment and eviction due to the decisions and actions by the rightist party in power in that state. A permanent threat of riots and violations of human rights hangs over the minorities - Muslims - in India as a result of the disturbed intercountry relations between India and Pakistan. Innocent citizens belonging to Hindu majority or other communities also face killings and attacks, threats to their life, security, peace during riots and stress situtuations.
The latest event - of hydrogen bomb blast by India - followed by the action in Pakistan has added to the insecurity and tension between India, China and Pakistan to say the least that con result into situations and actions violating human rights of citizens in the subcontinent who have not been a party to the decision in favour of nuclear weaponisation.
What are the three best measures to improve the human rights situation in your country (India)?
The three measures with top priority include
a) strengthening of the human rights defenders' intervention through alliance among the existing human rights organizations and motivating, mobilising, orienting more decentralised civil society groups - new and existing - towards the same.
b) appropriately broaden interpretation of human rights including right to life and livelihood and on that basis, questioning the economic policies with globalisation, liberalisation, privatisation as its agenda and the power - national to global state to corporate - for their violations of human rights through a multiple front-approach.
c) Decentralisation of development planning process and the first right to planning combined with the appropriate political support from the national and international fori defending thes right will go a long way in preventing or minimising forcible displacement, destrution and deprivation of life supporting resources and vular disparity which is violating basic human rights of the large majority in India.
Andere Interviewpartner vom 6.12.1998 auf dem Menschenrechtskongreß
Programm Kongreß "Zukunft der Menschenrechte" 4. - 6.12.1998 Frankfurt am Main
Wie kann ich die Arbeit von amnesty international für Asien
finanziell unterstützen?
