Pics: Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP) 

Udupi, Nov 20: Karnataka State Human Rights Commission chairman, Justice S R Nayak, exhorted the common people to awaken to the current situation and work to protect their rights. He was speaking to the media persons after receiving petitions from the people at the office of the district deputy commissioner here on Friday November 19.

“Over the years, the hope about the governments providing social justice to the common people has been waning. The number of people, who have been deprived of their right to live, is alarmingly big. On one hand, there are lacs of people, who have been ardently hoping for water, food and shelter. On the other, the ultra rich people continue to plunder public wealth. Successive governments have not taken honest initiatives to implement the recommendations of the commission. Several recommendations have been assigned to dust bins. Some others are being implemented at a painstakingly slow pace. Under these circumstances, one wonders as to who will lend a sympathetic ear to the woes of the poor people. A time has come for the people to wake up to their potential and fight for their rights,” he opined.

He noted that naxalism has sprouted in the state, and that there is a need to ensure that it does not grow into a robust tree. “Guns cannot achieve this objective. The problem of naxals can be addressed if social justice is provided,” Nayak opined.

He said that for the affective functioning of the human rights commission, district units have to be set up. He rued that a recommendation made to the government in 2007 in this direction, has not been heeded. He felt that at least five zonal level units of the commission need to be opened in the state, if it is difficult to open district level units at present.  He also said that the demand for shifting the office of the commission to a more spacious building from the current 4,500 ft premises has also not been met.