The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, is in the news again.? The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has viewed the Tehelka expos? on Gujarat riots. The full seven member commission viewed the two hour sting operation after taking suo motu cognisance of the sting operation, and asking the Aaj Tak news channel to submit the two tapes. Having viewed the tapes, the Commission recommended a CBI probe into the accusations made . The NHRC found the contents ?fit? for a probe by the agency. ?The allegations had far-reaching implications and raised vital constitutional issues which need to be promptly addressed in the interest of all,? it said. The rights panel has also directed the state government to communicate its consent for CBI probe into the authenticity of the tapes allegations to it and the Centre within two weeks.
In its reaction to the NHRC’s recommendation the BJP party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said that recommendation for CBI probe is not only uncalled for but also a case of bias. NHRC’s observations on Gujarat under the UPA government have always shown an element of bias.
While Chief Minister Narendra Modi mulls his Government’s response to the NHRC recommendation. Offstumped takes a critical look at the NHRC’s functioning since the UPA Government assumed power in 2004.
For a quasi-executive body that swears by upholding people’s Rights, the NHRC’s track record in transparency to its own functioning is highly questionable. For all the criticism of the BJP in Gujarat, the NHRC’s was more transparent during the tenure of the Vajpayee lead NDA Government. While the NHRC had been dutifully making its Annual Reports publicly available online on its website over the years since its formation in 1993, that practice ended with the Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi lead Congress assuming office.
No Annual report has been filed on the NHRC website since 2004. The last annual report is for the year 2004-2005. In fact the NHRC has been merely paying lip service to RTI with its “Right to Information” Charter not been updated since 2005 with budget figures for the year 2005-2006. A good example of how lazy the NHRC has been is its report on Prison Population Statistics which has not been updated since 2005.
The NHRC’s activism in Gujarat is well known. Its website has a dedicated section on all its orders pertaining to the 2002 riots as well as a report available for purchase on the hearings from 2002.?But the NHRC’s activism on Gujarat has been questionable on occasions, a prime example is the so called“mass graves” issue which ended up being not about?”mass graves” but about “improper?handling” of unclaimed corpses.
Offstumped has been critical of the partisan role played by National Conscience Keepers like the NHRC in recent times.
By acting on the sensational Tehelka Tapes which produced little new evidence the NHRC is in danger of having recommended another fishing expedition by the CBI similar to the mass graves incident.
With its poor track record on transparency of its functioning in the last 3 years, questions of bias on the NHRC’s actions are legitimate and need to be answered by the Commission.
Specifically the Commission must provide a reasonable basis with precedent on why it has recommended a CBI investigation.
What were the guiding principles, how often have these been applied and how often have these found to be valid in hindsight ?
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Interesting read.
Everyone agrees that the Godhra incident was the immediate cause of the riots. Even today, there’s no agreement what exactly set the coach on fire. Was it a mob? Or just an accident? Going by circumstantial evidence, this is well worth investigating.
Given the potential nationwide impact, it is quite obvious that trigger points like this must be carefully investigated. There can be a lot to learn about the modus operandi of our enemies, should it turn out what happened at Godhra was indeed a massacre.
What I find quite amusing is that no journalist seems to be interested in finding the ground truth at Godhra. Sure, the riots need to be investigated. But the law demands that all events that appear prima facie malicious be investigated fairly.
Wouldn’t it make one hell of a story if a Tehelka-like reporter actually dug out the truth?
Actually, BJP should turn this on Tehelka. It should also ask for authenticating the tapes – ie ask CBI to look at original footing and see what was deleted and what was air brushed and what was manipulated. And include collusion between Congress I party and Tehelka to manipulate coming elections. Finally, the investigation should include NHRC censureship and huge fines to Tehelka if Tehelka manipulated evidence and waste tax payers money with CBI inquiry.
As soon as someone claims Human Rights group, even if they are, for example, naxalite terrorists, it’s hard get traction against them.
So fighting NHRC will only add legitimacy to corrupt Congress I stooges like Tehelka and it’s sensation and communal news propaganda. It’s better the turn tables on them using the same tool.
That was truly interesting. I was just browsing through the Gujarat section of the NHRC website. The major concerns are on the post- Godhra riots while they do make customary references to the Godhra incident – e.g. “The tragic events in Gujarat, starting with the Godhra incident and continuing with the violence that rocked the State for over two months, have greatly saddened the nation….blah blah”
However, from the general tone of the “findings” of the Commission, it is quite clear that had there been no riots after the Godhra train burning incident, the NHRC would not have as much as kept even a small paragraph on its website! Perhaps the “kar sevaks” are not “Human” enough to find a place on the NHRC’s radar!
It’s the job of NHRC to make sure that the people’s rights are not only not trampled but also perceived to be not trampled.
Ravindra,
NHRC is not the CBI.
CPIM goons are killing villagers in Nandigram area as we speak. This has been going on for the last few days. NHRC seems to have not heard of these massacres. Wonder why?
Commies went hammer and tongs at Justice (Retd) Anand, the head honcho of NHRC, over an alleged false claim of his about his age. (I think the real reason why he earned their wrath must be different. Anybody in the know?) There was a campaign against him in the extremist Marxist organ, Frontline. This was before Godhra train genocide. NHRC has since then endeared itself to the commies with its Gujarat “activism”, and the campaign against Justice (Retd) has stopped.
jujung: “Ravindra, NHRC is not the CBI.”
Was that comment meant for me? I dont see any link. Where in my post have I said that the NHRC is the CBI or even that it should act as one? All I’m saying is that the NHRC, from its tone, seems to be acting more as a messiah of the minorities as if they alone are the humans.
Perhaps my simple rejoinder to your rejoinder ought to have been: “NHRC is not the CBI, NOR it is the National Minorities Commission!”
By the way, can somebody tell me if there is a “Minorities Commission” in any country apart from India? Perhaps there are no minorities in other places who need protection from the majority! Its only in India that the poor minorities need their rights to be protected from the evil Hindus, or to be more specific, the evil Hindu right wing Sangh Parivar and its goons!
Ravindra,
Godhra incident is an act of terrorism/arson/accident without any involvement of Govt. authorities and hence, there is no case for violation of rights by the Govt. It’s a problem of CBI.
However, in the case of subsequent riots, the role of police and authorities is dubious and hence the involvement of NHRC.
[...] third point on the NHRC needs no rejoinder, Offstumped has documented on multiple occassions how ideologically biased the NHRC has been and how selective it has been in its activism. its [...]