'Adhikar' is peaceful co-existence, no one has any right to kill anybody: NHRC chief

NHRC chairperson justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra on Thursday extolled the ancient wisdom of India that speaks of 'ahimsa' and other human virtues, as he asserted that 'adhikar' essentially means "peaceful co-existence" and no one has any right to kill anybody or snatch someone else's bread to satiate their hunger.

In his address at a technical session held here as part of a conference on 'Human Rights in Indian Culture and Philosophy', he also said that 'ahimsa' (non-violence) via Buddhism is a "gift from India" to the wider world.

His comments come in the backdrop of the brutal killing of a tailor in Udaipur by two men who had posted videos online that claimed they were avenging an insult to Islam.

The two-day event is being hosted by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

"Words used in our scriptures, Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharata, teaching of our great persons... Ahimsa was talked of," Mishra said.

The NHRC chief then cited Mahatma Gandhi, Raja Rammohun Roy, Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Dayanand Saraswati and said, "then we have to remember Akbar also" in this context.

"Gandhi, Patel lived with 'ahimsa', it is taught in Jainism and Buddhism too. Forty-seven countries have adopted Buddhism, it is a gift from India -- 'ahimsa'. What Ashoka borrowed from Buddhism - 'ahimsa'... What we have given to the entire world is being talked about today... Indian culture, we have not forgotten, it is in our blood," he said.

He then spoke of 'adhikar' (rights) and 'dayitva' (duties) as spoken in the Indian texts.

"'Adhikar' is peaceful co-existence. No one has any right to kill anybody or snatch someone else's bread to satiate their hunger or quench their thirst," the NHRC chief said.

He also talked about the land being a venerated 'Bhoomi Devi' (Mother Earth) and River Ganga being revered as a 'Ganga Maa' and lamented that society was "forgetting its obligations" there too.

The NHRC chief underlined that fertile nature of land was "being destroyed" through use of chemicals and fertilizers as they benefit just a few crops and render it "unproductive" later.

India is an agriculture-dominated country and the land gives breads to millions, he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is slated to officially inaugurate the two-day national conference on Thursday evening, during which leading academicians, legal experts, jurists and others will gather to explore and discuss various subjects, themed on "human rights in Indian culture and philosophy," officials had said on Monday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is slated to be the chief guest for the valedictory session of the event that will be held at PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here, they said.

One of the imperatives of this conference on 'Human Rights in Indian Culture and Philosophy' is to "fulfil major lacunae in the study of human rights," it had said.

"The cultural traits and the philosophical thoughts in the Indian subcontinent have always hailed a wide spectrum of views and insights on human rights through both writings and practice. For ages, the Indian culture has emphasised the innate nature of human well-being rooted in spiritual, political, and dignified social, cultural and mental freedom," the NHRC had said in a statement earlier.