Karnataka - Mysore

‘Lay emphasis on duties than on rights’

— Photo: M.A. SRIRAM

Start: The former Chief Justice of Karnataka and Kerala High Courts V.S. Malimath inaugurating a seminar in Mysore on Friday.

MYSORE: Noting that the number of human rights violation cases was increasing despite laws to protect the rights, the former Chief Justice of Karnataka and Kerala High Courts V.S. Malimath has called for laying emphasis on duties than on rights.

Delivering the inaugural address at the workshop on “The rights of persons with disabilities, old age and ill health” on Friday, Mr. Malimath, who is also a former member of the National Human Rights Commission, observed that the concept of human rights was ingrained in Indian ethos, as evident in the philosophy of “Vasudeva Kutumbakam”.

However, the emphasis on “rights” without due regard to duties had rendered the concept of human rights meaningless as it could be respected only if individuals realised their duty towards fellow human beings, he said.

Saying that the concept of individual rights was western, Mr. Malimath traced its origins to State’s interference in individual’s life in England, resulting in a struggle and the signing of the Magna Carta. But the earliest Indian concept was that of “dharma” or duties towards others without which the concept of individual rights had no meaning, he said.

He noted that the number of cases of human rights violation was increasing in modern times despite framing of strong laws to protect the rights, and called for an introspection and analysis of this phenomena.

Drawing attention to a recent court ruling that enjoined on children to look after their aged parents, Mr. Malimath lamented at the erosion of values in society and said that laws had to be framed to protect the elderly and the infirm when that should have been the duty of children. He called for greater sensitisation of duties and values as mere framing of a law did not bring about the desired change.

The two-day workshop, being held in association with the National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, aims to take stock of the legal development, administration’s preparedness and judicial approach relating to various human rights issues. The workshop also hopes to sensitise service providers, policy makers and the public to these issues.

P. Ishwara Bhat, Chairman, Department of Studies in Law, said enabling all human beings to live with dignity, equal opportunity and scope for full participation in various spheres of life was one of the main objectives of human rights jurisprudence.

The workshop is being attended by representatives of non-governmental organisations, academicians, experts in the field of human rights, jurists and law students.

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