Duties, rights should be well balanced: Justice Bilagi

"Duties and rights are like assets and liabilities. They need to be well balanced," said Principal District and Sessions Judge K S Bilagi. He was speaking after inaugurating the Human Rights Day at SDM Business Management College at Kodialbail in Mangaluru on Wednesday.

He said that before claiming one's rights, one should perform their duties.

"Human beings can rise to the level of God by invoking divinity. They can also turn out to be demons by invoking brutality," he said. Both possibilities are within us. He hoped that brotherhood and religious harmony will replace hatred and brutality.

"People often criticise judges when the accused persons involved in criminal acts are acquitted for lack of evidence. But it is ironical how eye witnesses do not come forward to offer a statement in the court as witnesses," the judge said. Stating that protecting the dignity of women is the duty of everyone, he said that the present generation should stand by human rights. Human Rights are applicable to all people irrespective of nationality, colour, gender, caste or religion, he said.

K S Bilagi meanwhile administered an oath on human rights. Senior Civil Judge and District Legal Services Authority member secretary Mallanagowda B Patil said that human beings are becoming more and more selfish thereby resulting in violation of human rights. Hhuman rights activist K Balakrishna Rai noted that lots of cases pertaining to human rights violation take place in the police department. He stressed on the need to appoint receptionists at all the police stations to assist the public who visit the stations with humility.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Kumar, Assistant Commissioner Renukaprasad, Mangalore Bar Association President M RBallal and SDM Business Management College Principal Aruna P Kamath were present.