New Delhi: Noted scholar, spiritual thinker, author and humanitarian, Chandra Bhanu Satpathy delivered a lecture on ‘Human Rights’ at the National Human Rights Commission in New Delhi today. NHRC Chairperson, Justice Arun Mishra, Members, Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay and Rajiv Jain, Secretary General, Bharat Lal, senior officers and staff were present.
Through analogies and questions, Dr. Satpathy dwelled deep into a holistic understanding of human rights. The true embodiment of democracy can be described as optimum happiness to maximum people for the longest period of time in a society. Opinions masquerading as knowledge do not necessarily bring the essence of life to the fore; instead open new complexities. In this context, he said that the internet has done many goods but it has to be used and accessed with caution lest it becomes a reason for violation of human rights.
He said that human rights cannot be understood in isolation but in relation to whatever is in this universe; it is to be understood with empathy and not by sympathy alone. He said that the idea of perfection doesn’t work as life is constantly evolving and that the concept of human rights is not new but existed since the birth of humankind. It can be better understood by reasoning whether it is humane rights or human rights, whether human rights call for sympathy or empathy and whether these have the genesis in our duties or rights as human beings.
Dr. Satpathy said that without addressing the root cause behind the violation of the rights of the people, one-time help might not address the problem relating to the rights to food, drinking water, livelihood, life with dignity etc. The proper rehabilitation of the victim of human rights violation is necessary to ensure that the person does not fall back into the trappings of the vagaries of his existence.
Providing viable solutions to improve the overall situation by means of education, and livelihood opportunities, among others, is necessary.
Earlier, welcoming Dr. Satpathy, the NHRC Chairperson, Justice Mishra said that his books and deeper insight into cosmic energy and its link with the human rights has motivated several people across the globe to understand the concept of life and dharma.
A brief session of questions and answers followed the lecture. It was concluded by a vote of thanks Shri Bharat Lal, Secretary General, NHRC.