Updated: Sat, Sep 28 2013. 10 36 AM IST
In a speech at the first convocation ceremony of the Central University of Bihar in Patna, Ansari said integration with the world of the 21st century will be "contingent on subscribing to and practising the globally accepted value system of governance", which included protection and promotion of human rights.
In the years since independence, India had taken many steps to ensure basic human dignity and rights were preserved, which included "abolition of abhorrent practices like untouchability, female foeticide, discrimination on basis of work and descent."
"Questions, however, do arise," Ansari said with regard to the implementation of the laws as "cases of discrimination based on religion, caste, language, ethnicity, creed, work, descent and economic status continue to be reported. They relate both to violation or denial of rights by state agencies and to violation or denial of rights by individuals and groups to individuals and groups. The weak—individual or group—is invariably the victim," the vice-president said.
The National Human Rights Commission has recorded custodial deaths, police high-handedness, firing, encounters, illegal detention, torture or firing by military, paramilitary forces and police, violation of rights of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, atrocities on women and children, bonded labour and child labour, the vice-president said.
Many Indian and international rights groups, too, had recorded instances of rights violations in India, Ansari said, adding, "It is evident, therefore, that there is at times a gap between what the official agencies project and what is perceived to be the situation on the ground."
In the face of these "candid assessments", India could either dismiss them or respond in a mature fashion, he said.
"In a vibrant and robust democracy like ours, there is no shame in acknowledging the faults and the lacunae that exist in the policies and institutions pertaining to human rights," Ansari said.
According to Ansari, "many new issues have become part of the human rights agenda and will remain crucial in the coming decades. The conflict over natural resources, the issue of gender equality and the increasing incidence of gender violence and of caste, communal, ethnic and sub-national conflicts among communities, and environmental implications of some developmental projects, are some examples. Human rights abuses by non-state actors, such as violent insurgent groups, terrorists and extremists, both from the left and right, has also emerged as a significant challenge," he said, urging educational institutions to take the lead in imparting values-based education to help meet the moral challenges of the times.
"I am glad that someone from the highest offices in India has acknowledged a tendency to silence those that criticise the government and draw international attention to shortcomings. India's policies are almost always been strong and they have been very well-intentioned initiatives that have failed due to poor implementation," Ganguly said by phone from Mumbai.
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