Human rights is in DNA of Indians, says RK Singh

NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Power R K Singh on Thursday said that respect for human rights is in the DNA of Indians.

While inaugurating NHRC-IGNCA Conference, he said, "respect for human rights is in the DNA of Indians."

He said that respecting the rights of women has been a very old tradition of Indian society much before the West realized these in the 60s.

"We come from a culture where a common man can question the king," he added.

He said that it is our country that has expanded the concept of human rights by ensuring houses, piped water connection, electricity, gas connection for all; health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakh to every family below the poverty line and the right to food that ensured 80crore people got free food. Earlier, addressing the gathering, the NHRC, Chairperson, Justice Arun Mishra said that India has given a new philosophy to the world.

He said that Dharma has been recognized as a way of life in India and not as a narrow understanding of religion. Therefore, conduct, as a set principle of life, has become a strong pillar for respecting human rights.

He said that the concept of the global village being talked about now has been a very ancient philosophy as reflected in the ethos of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam'.

Referring to several scriptures of different religious faiths, he said that in Indian culture, there has never been a monopoly of any religious faith or ideology, because there has been acceptance of all beliefs, and that is why the concept of religious conversion never met the approval, as its need was never felt.

While Justice Arun Mishra said, "when there is no difference in human beings, why should they be differentiated in the name of religion."

Singh was addressing, as the Chief Guest, the inaugural session of the two days 'National Conference on Human Rights in Indian Culture and Philosophy', organized jointly by the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India and Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, IGNCA in New Delhi today.

Earlier, during the day, in the two thematic sessions, leading into the culmination of this inaugural session, chaired by the NHRC Chairperson, Justice Arun Mishra and Member, Justice M.M. Kumar, several thought-provoking interventions were made by the leading academicians on the various facets of ancient Indian culture and philosophy embedded in the values for human rights as these are being understood and defined today.

The two-day conference will conclude on July 1, 2022.