Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, 12 October, stated that some individuals who view human rights selectively attempt to harm the nation's image through their behaviour.
Addressing a foundation day programme held to mark the 28th year of the National Human Rights Commission, Modi said:
"Human rights are grossly violated when they are viewed with a political colour, viewed through a political lens, weighed with the scales of political profit and loss. Such selective behaviour is equally harmful to democracy. We see that by doing such selective behaviour some people try to damage the image of the country in the name of human rights violation. The country has to be careful with such people."
"In recent years, some people have started interpreting human rights in their own way, looking at their own interests. In the same type of incident some people see human rights violation and in some other similar incident the same people do not see human rights violation," he added.
"Human rights should not be only about rights, but also duties. The two should be discussed together, not separately. Other than awareness of their rights, each individual must abide by their duties," the prime minister said.
"Today the country is running on the basic mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas'. In a way, this is the basic spirit of ensuring human rights," Modi said at the NHRC event.
"India has continuously given the world a new vision on the issues of equality and human rights. In the last decades, many such opportunities have come before the world, when the world has been confused, lost. But India has always been committed to human rights, has been sensitive."Prime Minister Modi
"Even in such difficult times of global pandemic, India tried that not a single poor person should go hungry. Big countries of the world are not able to do this, but even today India is providing free food grains to 800 million people," Modi noted.
The prime minister further listed out the measures taken by the BJP-led central government in bettering women's safety and position in the Indian society.
"Many legal steps related to the protection of daughters have been taken over the years. One Stop Centers are running in more than 700 districts of the country, where women are given medical aid, police protection, legal aid and temporary shelter at one place," he said.
"Today, many sectors of work have been opened for women, it is being ensured that they can work 24 hours with security. Big countries of the world are not able to do this, but today India is giving 26 weeks paid maternity leave to career women."Prime Minister Modi
The prime minister also remarked upon the removal of the triple talaq practice, which had been struck down by the Supreme Court in 2017.
"In the past years, the country has also tried to remove the injustice happening at different levels in different sections. For decades Muslim women had been demanding a law against triple talaq. We have given new rights to Muslim women by enacting a law against triple talaq," he stated.
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