HUMAN RIGHTS an incisive analysis by Dr. Leo Rebello

[Guest guest]

 

 

HUMAN RIGHTS

An incisive analysis of

What has been achieved

What needs to be achieved

 

by

Dr. Leo Rebello

World Peace Envoy, Bombay

 

Address : 28/552 Samata Nagar, Kandivali East, Bombay 400101, India.

Tel. (91-22) 28872741

Email : leorebello / drleorebello

Website : www.healthwisdom.org

 

 

"Man was born free, and yet everywhere he is in chains" this profound quote from Jean Jacques Rousseau sums up the issue of Human Rights so profoundly.

 

It was in 1948 that the UN Declaration on Human Rights was adopted in Paris and, ever since, 10th December is being celebrated as Human Rights Day. In all these years, inspite of UN handicap (the biggest criticism of UN is that it has become a doormat of US, and saddled with rampant corruption) some issues have been resolved. The milestones are :-

 

1) Awareness of the rights and conditions of indigenous and tribal populations.

However, inspite of tremendous technological progress, Indians of North America, Tribals of India, Chakmas of Bangla Desh, the Aborigines of Australia, Maoris of New Zealand, Hilly Tribes and Nomadic Tribes remain where they were. Worst affected are the Nomadic tribes (Gypsies) because they do not feature in the Census, many do not even have an identity and some are even labelled as criminals (like Phase-Pardhis in India). But on a closer look, this Gypsy-spirit has kept the inherent human nature intact. Being close to nature, they live simply, and consequently they are the most evolved people. Nomadic Tribes do not hoard, they do not talk of Lifeboat Ethics (like a selfish American who consumes equivalent of 50 persons from the third world countries), they have no aspirations to colonise the Moon or Mars, and they do not invade any territory -- infact we need to learn from them to prefer Freedom to Death.

2) Torture remains the major issue in normal times, in war-torn areas, in terrorist infested parts of the world. Inspite of several human rights resolutions, conventions, laws, courts that is the biggest blot on Humanism. It is a shame, that the Police and Army of even the so-called civilised countries do "research and experiments" on how to torture people without leaving tell-tale marks so that the perpetrators like the CIA, KGB, Mosad and their counter parts in other parts of the world can save their skin. Torture in Guantanamo prison has attracted the world attention to the sordid goings-on there. But the mad men care a damn about world opinion.

 

3) Death Penalty -- this grotesque practice has been banned in about 130 countries, but it is still being practiced in some 70 countries. India is one of them. In that decadent country called the USA, electric chair has been replaced by lethal injection. Encounter Deaths is an illegal extention of that same sick psyche. The condition of death row prisoners is another issue. They are dumped in solitary confinement, food is denied to them, they are beaten up, medical aid is rare to come by, family members are not allowed to meet them.

 

4) Conscientious objection to military service. Compulsory military service (or conscription) is still being practiced in US, UK, Israel and other so-called democratic countries. The first principle of democracy is informed choice and the Right to Say No. When young people are drafted into a compulsory military service, the entire future generation is programmed into "controlled populace" to legitimise that which is inherantly wrong -- to keep the arms and armies going, which have created more problems.

 

5) Child Soldiers -- if compulsory military service is unnecessary, drafting children and women into killing fields is morally decadent. But religious bigots, the minorities who feel insecure, the terrorists, the secessionists and even some revolutionary armies draft child soldiers "to defend" their "just cause"(read insanity). This is worse than the Child labour, because you are denying the child to grow naturally, play, love, trust, feel secure and safe. The children growing with mistrust will naturally be deviant or criminal, unless they evolve later spiritually.

6) The Right to Housing is as important as the Right to Food, the Right to Clothing, because it is a component of Right to Life. But when slums are razed by bulldozers without providing alternative accommodation, when basic amenities are not provided to slums, when women have to wait for the darkness of the night to defecate because there are no toilets, when there is no drinking water, and majority of people live in that condition, then what progress or development paradigm are we talking of.

 

7) The Right to Religion and Belief - is a negative right. It is a double-edged weapon. Though we must eliminate all forms of intolerance and respect beliefs of others, willy-nilly, we agree to several practices which are not evolutionary. For example, Indian women working in Iran Air office in Bombay, have to wear burqa. In other words, writ of Iran's backward Mullas runs in progressive India, while our secular Govt. and women's organisations look the other way in the name of tolerance. Many religious dogmas and practices enslave people leading to clash of civilisation. Castes, which have now become so rigid, because we have "recognised" them, themselves, become an instrument of tyranny. Practices like menstruating women not allowed to enter temples is unreasonable, that widows cannot marry or they should shave their heads and wear white clothes, or people belonging to scheduled castes should not draw water from community well (decadent Hindu practices), or women should cover themselves from head to toe and she can be discarded by uttering three insane words talaq, talaq, talaq (Muslim practice) are a shame on 21st Century civilisation.

 

8) The Rights of Women and their condition is a very important right. Because, women constitute half the population. They nurture the future generation. If the woman is naked, insecure, tormented, hungry, in jail, or has to sell her body to make a living, then it automatically percolates on her progeny.

 

9) Systematic rape - is rampant in many homes, societies where women are considered as inferior and an object of pleasure and especially in war torn areas where sexually starved soldiers heap untold miseries on the weaker sex. Special Army Acts which give uncanalised powers to the hungry wolves (in protector's attire) make matters worse. Some of these old laws fly in the face of humanity and negate the very resolutions, protocols or international laws that the Govts are signatory to and evolved persons have fought to guarantee equality before law.

10) Human Rights Defenders are always under watch. They are not wanted by those in power, and have to undergo humiliation, threats, false police cases or outright abuse, assault or elimination. So, whistle blowers protection is another issue that has assumed importance.

 

Hunger and Right to Food should get priority because more than 2/3 of the world population goes hungry, mainly in Africa and India. But it is largely neglected. 20% of food stocked in Indian grannaries is wasted; another 15% is eaten or destroyed by rodents, while poor people starve. Ration shops that are meant to provide subsidized food and kerosene to cook the food are centres of extortion for politicians. Families in places such as Rajasthan, replete with Palace Hotels, where foreigners come to frolic and have camel and elephant rides, still have to practice rotating hunger and thousands of children every year die or are blinded by xeropthalmia due to insufficient nutrition. It is a shame that inspite of massive 'development' and modernization, we have not been able to eradicate hunger today. As long as 2% insane capitalists control 98% of the world's wealth, through organisations like World Bank (which is a private bank), WTO-GATT regime, and decisions are controlled at the world bodies like UN with veto power in the hands of conniving five, will human rights ever get priority?

 

Finally, RIGHT TO HEALTH is one issue that has not been answered at all. On the contrary, the UN or UN bodies have become the stooges of mercenary mafias. WHO is now known as "WHOre" since it makes mercury-laced lethal vaccines compulsory on children of the world. That has given rise to Autism (4 million cases in India alone), Cancers, AIDS, Polio deformities due to Oral Polio Vaccines. WHO has made it mandatory that the AIDS affected people should take Anti-Retrovirals (ARVs), which are known carcinogens. Codex, a sub-committee of WHO, consisting of junior persons like pharmacists, dietitians, so-called consumer activists and allopathic doctors, have now influenced several nations to enact back-door laws prohibiting even natural products like Honey, Garlic extract, Vitamin C, which are proposed for inclusion as Drugs. Tomorrow the idiots may legislate, "to eat vegetables and fruits you require Doctor's prescription" and later they may say "even a mother cannot feed her baby her milk till the Doctor certifies that her milk is safe", like they do in that mad country called USA, where if you refuse Chemotherapy or Anti-Retroviral Drugs for Cancers and AIDS, you can be jailed.

 

In India, the Drug and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954 prohibits even factual advertisements like "Lasona" (for unclogging blocked coronaries), "Diabetea" (for Diabetes), Medicines for Obesity, etc. or promotion of ageold traditional or natural remedies. Indian herbal formulations for AIDS Cure cannot be advertised; whereas, Glaxo, Pfizer, Novartis can freely advertise (even on television), and make it compulsory the consumption of carcinogenic ARVs for AIDS by creating scare. Likewise, by employing entire state machinery right from the President of India to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, to superstar Amitabh Bachchan and cricketeer Sachin Tendulkar to vouch for Polio Vaccines, of which they know nothing, the pharma mafia has taken control of our lives. We are being assaulted, raped, threatened, fudged, jailed, controlled and destroyed due to wrong laws passed without much thought.

 

Scientific and technological advances has lead to moral decrepitude. Instead of evolving, Humanity is deteriorating. We may appear civilised outwardly, but inside we are still worse than animals. To evolve spiritually we need to revert to oriental wisdom of Vedas, Yoga, Vegetarianism, Gurukul system of Learning, Simple Living, etc. As Jesus Christ said, "Verily you are the salt of the Earth. If the salt has lost its flavour wherewith shall be salted". Arise, Awake and Act now, for tomorrow the Earth itself may turn into a big graveyard due to the insatiable greed of a few spiritually decadent persons.