Chapter - 5
(Democratic Rights)
Prison in Guantanamo Bay -
Guantanamo Bay’s prison is run by the USA.
It is located in Cuba.
People suspected of terrorism were kept there.
About 600 people were secretly picked up by the US forces from all over the world.
These people were arrested for linked with attack of 11 September 2001 in New York. Many
prisoners were kept without trial for a long time.
They were not given proper legal rights.
Their human rights were violated.
Amnesty International, an international human rights organisation collected information on
the conditions of the prisoners of Guantanamo Bay.
After an independent enquiry, the UN Secretary General said that this prison should be
closed down.
But the US government refused to accept these pleas.
Citizens’ Rights in Saudi Arabia -
Saudi Arabia is ruled by a hereditary king.
It's people have no role in electing their rulers.
The king selects legislature and executive.
He appoints the judges and can change their decisions.
Citizens can't form political parties and political organizations.
Media can't report anything because the media have not complete freedom.
There is no freedom of religion.
Every citizen is required to be Muslim.
Non - Muslim residents can follow their religion in private.
Women have no freedom like men.
Women face lots of public restrictions.
The testimony of a man is considered equal to that of two women.
Ethnic Massacre in Kosovo -
Kosovo was a province of Yugoslavia before its split.
It had a majority population of ethnic Albanians.
But in the entire country, Serbs were in majority.
A narrow minded Serb nationalist Milosevic won the election and wanted to keep control
over Kosovo.
In April 1999, Serbian forces started suppressing the Albanian population.
Many ethnic Albanians were killed.
Thousands were forced to leave their homes.
Finally several other countries intervened to stop this massacre.
Milosevic lost power and was tried by the International Court of Justice for crimes against
humanity.
Rights - Rights are reasonable claims of persons recognised by society and sanctioned by
law.
Why do we need rights in a democracy?
1. Rights protect people from unfair actions of the government.
2. Rights make sure all citizens are treated equally before the law.
3. Rights give us freedom of speech, expression, religion, etc., which help us live with
dignity.
4. Rights allow people to vote, speak, and take part in government activities.
5. Rights protect minority groups from discrimination and injustice.
PIL -
PIL stands for Public Interest Litigation.
It is a case filed in a court for the protection of public interest, not for personal benefit.
Who can file a PIL?
Any citizen,
A group of people,
An NGO.
Even a simple letter to the court can be treated as a PIL in some cases.
Importance of PIL -
It helps poor and weak people who cannot go to court.
It protects fundamental rights.
It promotes justice for society.
National Human Rights Commission -
NHRC stands for National Human Rights Commission.
Established on 12 October 1993.
Headquarters - Manav Adhikar Bhawan, New Delhi
Human Rights Day is celebrated on 10 December every year.
Chairman of NHRC -
Ex - Chief Justice or Ex - Judges of Supreme Court
Purpose of NHRC - To protect and promote human rights in India.
Functions of NHRC -
Investigates complaints of human rights violations.
Takes action against public officials if they violate rights.
Visits jails and detention centres to check conditions.
Promotes awareness about human rights.
By - Raja Sir