Date:17/11/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/11/17/stories/2002111701251000.htm

National

'No justification for terrorism'

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV. 16. The leader of the Telugu Desam Parliamentary party, K. Yerran Naidu, who headed a delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, has assailed terrorism, stating that "there can be no justification whatsoever for terrorism.''

Addressing the third committee of the 57th U.N. Assembly on human rights a few days back, Mr. Naidu said, "terrorist acts constitute not only a criminal activity; they are a violation of human rights. They seek to violate the most fundamental of human rights, namely, the right to life. Attempts to provide justifications by looking at casual relationships of such acts will only serve as an encouragement to terrorists and detract severely from the global war on terrorism''. He said, "we fully agree that global security must be grounded in promoting respect for human rights through upholding the rule of law, fostering social justice and enhancing democracy. But we feel that to provide a causal relationship to the effect that human rights violations risk breeding hatred, resentment and ultimately violence, could in effect be interpreted as providing a justification for terrorism''.

He said India's judicial institutions had an impeccable record of performance and independence that serve as a bulwark of our democratic process and the country was committed to the rule of law. Apart from the judiciary, there was an independent National Human Rights Commission and similar human rights commissions in the States.