Sayani said that they can play an important role in promoting the culture of respecting human rights and educating the public about them.
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) acting chairperson Vijaya Bharathi Sayani on Monday said the Commission is committed to engaging with the Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) to spread awareness about the importance of promoting and protecting human rights.
Sayani made the statement at a meeting of its core group of HRDs and NGOs here.
Chairing the meeting, the acting Chairperson highlighted the crucial role that HRDs play in raising the issues of human rights violations of different segments of society at the grassroots level, often risking their safety.
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Sayani said that they can play an important role in promoting the culture of respecting human rights and educating the public about them.
Ajay Bhatnagar, Director General (Investigation), highlighted the role played by the State agencies and the NHRC in safeguarding the rights of HRDs.
Earlier, giving an overview of the meeting, Devendra Kumar Nim, Joint Secretary said that the discussion aims to identify the roles, responsibilities and challenges of HRDs in India.
He said that the HRDs and NGOs efforts can be very meaningful in fulfilling the Commission’s mandate for protecting and promoting human rights.
The HRDs in the meeting appreciated the various advisories issued by the Commission for the welfare and protection of different vulnerable sections of society. They suggested that the Commission may also consider issuing an advisory for protecting the rights of the HRDs given the multiple challenges they face at various levels while seeking justice for the victims.
They also emphasised the need to build awareness about the work of the HRDs in society.
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