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Beyond Human rights

 

Atanu Dey, Diphu

 

10th Dec.’04

 

(As presented on Human rights Day, 10th Dec., ’04 observed at Diphu Govt.

College, by its Deptt. of Political Science)

 

In the last five or six thousand years of recorded history of Human civilization

and its progress, there are some features which clearly stand as milestones in

the path of progress. These events are remarkably different then the progress we

made in scientific advancement or the achievement over the ages towards our

civic sense, literature or other fields. Given, the level of gray matters in

human brain and the vast span of time over several millennia, it was quite

normal that human race could make the progress as it stands with today. So,

these achievements are simply the product of human intelligence with time. But

the milestones of the civilization are different from these mind boggling

achievements and those are not many. In chronological order, they may be cited

as the abolition of slave trade, concept of man-woman equality, several anti-war

and arms reduction treaties, etc.

 

One of the latest milestones that we have achieved is the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights about half a century ago. The concept of the Declaration of

Human rights was a big step in itself in the journey of the civilization. Off

course the achievement is not complete in the declaration itself nor in its

thorough understanding in the academic intelligentsia nor in legal adaptation by

the machineries of nations etc. The effort remains unending in the process of

conferment of these rights to each and every human being in every society

scattered over the globe. But, how are these issues moving over now? With just

turn of half a century after the noble concept was given a shape, it has become

a complete armory. I call it complete armory because the words 'human rights'

work alternately as sword and shield. Every where in the world, we observe some

groups trying to corner the others with the sword of human rights and shielding

itself with the shield of human rights. These days, we are

talking more of human rights violations then discussing the human rights

issues. Here, one will counter me with the argument that, human rights violation

is not different from human rights issues and whenever a human rights violation

or abuse take place, that itself is a human right issue. Well, that may be a

strong argument, but I mean it the other way. I mean, the human right concept

must be spread and propagated without the highlight of human rights violations.

Human rights violation must be won over with the spread of the concept of human

rights. Whenever, we talk of the human rights violation, it brings two groups

before us, one, the violators of human rights, other the victims of human rights

violation and the dispute continues like any other struggles we are already

having among us like rich and poor, haves and have nots, etc.

 

So, in the late 20th century and early 21st century, the mankind can no more

afford to open another front of struggle between the violators of human rights

and the victims of human rights. Rather, the concept should extend to a broader

view with humane virtues and ethics to augment and encompass the entire world

with all the earthlings and conscious forms in the entire cosmos. Now, the

question is, what that sort of human right is? We know, a very established

saying like 'No right is complete without responsibilities'. So, what is the

responsibility associated with human rights? Is it human responsibilities? Yes,

it’s exactly the human responsibilities that make the human rights meaningful.

And what are the human responsibilities? We hope, we are all very aware of our

responsibilities. For ages, these responsibilities were defined to us as moral,

social and ethical responsibilities. But with the widened knowledge of every

aspect and minute understanding of the surrounding world in a

wider scale, now, the contemporary age human can no longer confine its rights

and responsibilities within the human domain only. It claims itself to be the

most intelligence, mature, and powerful species of forms of consciousness in the

universe (as much the universe has been disclosed to us till date). Again, many

reckless deeds of human (like deforestation and uncontrolled release of green

house gases etc.) are already influencing the environment of the planet earth in

a negative way not for the human species only but also endangering the existence

of many other forms of life who also have equal rights as earthlings as humans

do to co-exist on the planet. It is unfortunate that, the human species could be

so unaware and unsympathetic to the rights of others while defining their own

rights. Specially, when the humans claim themselves to be the most intelligent

and mature with 'humane nature' and at the helm of control of the nature (albeit

negatively).

 

It is true that, no right thing can happen before its time. UDHR could not take

place at 200 years back from now. That was a world full with rigid orthodox

ideas. Many peoples that time, right from the Cotton field owners in USA to

Thakur Zaminders of India could never perceive the concept of equality of all

human beings. Any such noble idea like UDHR of today would have been violently

thwarted and refuted at that age. So, past five decades from UDHR, it’s now time

to look ahead of it. It is now time to augment the rights of other life forms

right into the rights and responsibilities of human in order to make it

complete.

 

Here, ‘the rights for other forms of life’ sounds much uncalled for while

discussing the human rights issues. To justify its relevance, we need to browse

back 2000 years in history to Rome, when it was at the culmination of its

civilization. It was full with many Academicians, Philosophers, Thinkers and

Humanitarians that time. At the same time, there used to be many human beings

who had to drag ahead their miserable lives as slaves. They used to be tortured,

chained and even killed by their owners. Like we enjoy the bullfight and

cockfight these days, those poor slaves were put to fight with each others in

the arena till one them killed the other. They were called Gladiators and rich

peoples used to pay the arena owner to enjoy those killer games. There were many

humanitarians and thinkers, but the sufferings of those poor sons and daughters

of human beings escaped their mind. The great Cicero, even nomenclatured the

slaves used for plough as the ‘Instrumentum Vocale’ meaning

‘speaking instrument’. At the modern era, when we look back to that age, we

scream in horror, how could the great civilization behave so inhuman? And now,

if we don’t extend our feelings out of human domain, may be hundred years from

now, the generations ahead will scream back at us ‘How could they behave so

inhuman?’

 

We are a species, which is characterized with its humane qualities like, its

compassion, its kindness, its non-violent attitude, its ethics etc. Every time

and time again, we call upon our fellow human beings to practice these qualities

while dealing with each other. But, do we ever call ourselves to apply these

qualities while dealing with other forms of life? No. We kill them, torture them

and harm them in order to enjoy smallest pleasure in our eating or in dressing

up. So, it’s clear that, we never practice our humane qualities of compassion,

kindness, non-violence and ethics in their fullest spirit. And, unless we are

compassionate, kind, non-violent and ethical in our behavior and practice, how

can we expect ourselves to be careful of others feelings and others rights? So,

its exclusively on human interest that, we extend our feelings to other

non-human beings, so that, all our human virtues manifest in our behavior and

practice and we can observe the human rights in truest

sense.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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