'Heinous crimes force us to think about equal rights'

President Kovind alluded to recent cases of violence against women in various parts of the country.

Voicing concern over recent incidents of crime against women in the backdrop of Hyderabad gang-rape murder case, President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday underlined the need to ask ourselves whether as a society, we have lived up to the vision of equal rights and equal dignity of women.

Addressing a Human Rights Day function organized by National Human Rights Commission, Kovind said, “unfortunately, a series of events in the recent past force us to think again. Incidents of heinous crime against women are reported from many parts of the country.”

Kovind also felt the effective strengthening of human rights at the ground level is a collective task of the whole society.

The President noted that this is not limited to one place or one nation and in many parts of the world human rights of those who are vulnerable are flagrantly violated.

While urging all to introspect what more we need to do to live up to the letter and spirit of the sacred text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Kovind said despite this essential introspection, our understanding of the situation would be incomplete if we ignore the other side of the issue, which are duties.

“Our failings in human rights, as in the cases of violence against women, often stem from our failings in the other,” he said, calling for space for consideration fundamental duties along with all all-important question of human rights.

The President recalled the contribution of Hansa Mehta, who played a crucial role in the drafting of the Constitution of India as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and talked about "her vision" when he asked the pertinent question of whether we have lived up to her vision of equal rights and equal dignity of women.

The President also called for expanding the notion of human rights—of children and forced labourers or those put in jails, while they await trial for a petty crime they might not have even committed.

Lauding the role of NHRC, the President said the body has lived up to the expectations by playing the role of a quasi-judicial watch-dog for a quarter of a century, without fear or favour.