Did we say Human Rights?

The World Human Rights Day (HRD) was observed on 10 December.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, in his statement issued on HRD, specifically noted the remarkable peaceful efforts of individuals like Liu Xiaobo of China, Ahmed Maher of Egypt, Eskinder Nega of Ethiopia, Azimjon Askarov of the Kyrgyz Republic and exhorted governments and individuals alike to strive to fulfill the promise of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

In India, the day was celebrated by organizing the political conferences, meetings, exhibitions, cultural events, debates and many more programs to discuss all the issues of human rights. Several governmental, civil and nongovernmental associations actively take part in the human rights event celebration, each calling upon government and the civil society alike to give full meaning to human rights by observing them in practice.

human rights must be more than mere aspirations, and declarations cannot simply be slogans. Nor are they discretionary, they are fundamental. - See more at: http://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/secretary-generals-statement-human-rights-day-2014#sthash.WJVJf4Ss.dpuf

The Secretary General of Commonwealth, Kamalesh Sharma, while stressing upon the relevance and importance of HRD, said that human rights are not mere aspirations and declarations are not mere slogans; nor are they discretionary, they are fundamental.

Across Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Pacific nations, NGOs, organizations and people observed HRD with solemn pledges, many with the hope that their own life will be transformed. How did West Asia observe? While everyone else made speeches and took pledges, West Asia, particularly Israel, made a statement so loud and so precise in a manner that actually exemplifies the need to uphold human rights everywhere:  

On 10 December, Palestinian minister Ziad Abu Ain led a group of people in the West bank village of Turmusaya protesting Israeli occupation and violations.

How do they protest? By planting olive trees.

So what does Israel do? A group of Israeli soldiers pounce on the people planting trees and specifically target the minister by thrashing him black and blue. No shots fired by anyone, no bombs, no tear gas, no water cannon. Just thrashing. [see the full coverage by Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/10/us-mideast-israel-palestinians-idUSKBN0JO10720141210]

What happens to Ziad Abu Ain? He dies.

Now who is this Ziad Abu Ain? He is a minister in the Palestinian government. Incidentally, Palestine, though not having a territory of its own, has been recognized as a country by the UN in 2012. Last week, Sweden became the 135th country in the world to formally recognize Palestine as a nation. And, Ziad Abu Ain was a minister of a country called Palestine.

There is hardly anything else that needs to be said about respecting the sovereign institutions (including individuals who may represent such institutions by virtue of the office that they may occupy) of countries. The recognition and respect that we pay to these symbols form the foundation of international relations and helps us as countries to construct meaningful dialogues with each other on any and every issue that needs deliberation. But if X country shows impudent disrespect for sovereign institutions of other countries, then the world order and peace are at serious peril. In such a climate, talking of human rights is exactly what the Secretary General said: remain a mere slogan.

World Human Rights Day, well, we seem to have a long way to go towards translating good slogans into meaningful action. It is just sixty five years since UDHR has come about. Considering the 460 thousand years of human history, this is not even a wink. Things do take time to become convictions. Our parents spent twenty years average teaching us to abide by truth. At times we do give it a slip. It takes sixty/seventy years in a person's life to actually feel convinced about anything. Some of us will be shaking hands with St Peter without ever having had any conviction at all. It happens. Sad.   

eli settlements in the occupied West Bank village of Turmus'aya. - See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true&LangID=E#sthash.FKu0HvDe.dpuf

Palestinian Minister Ziad Abu Ein after Israeli troops clashed with protesters on 10 December. Ziad Abu Ein died following an assault by an Israeli soldier during an olive-tree planting protest against illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank village of Turmus'aya. - See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true&LangID=E#sthash.FKu0HvDe.dpuf

What you do for a living?

I was on a short trip in connection with some academic work. It happened to be a town on the seashore and quite accidentally I stumbled upon a cottage on the shore at throwaway rent. Listening to the waves humming and crashing alternately just about 100 ft from your feet throughout the night is a spiritual experience. I had a blissful three day/nights and came back totally revived. But that is not what I was about to say.

Here was the 'owner' of the cottage - a man who controlled cable TV operations in that area, undertook contracts for civil works and in his own words 'dabbled in politics for safety'. An extra ordinary (please do not read as extraordinary) chap who could easily be missed in a lonely street!! He rides a cycle for commitments nearby, a weather beaten motorcycle everywhere else and owns three cars. Usually wears a plain white cotton shirt over a well worn pants that could have been purchased anytime after he started wearing pants. He never seeks to sit while talking to you and prefers to stand in a corner with hands folded like a humble domestic help. Incidentally, you do not get such 'humble domestic help' even in India any more!! While describing the local political situation, he displayed his excellent sense of humor - 'if you look up to politicians as great men who will change your destiny, you will only get heart attacks. Look at them as street comedians who have come to entertain you for five years and you will get a life time of laughter'. 'And free', he added for emphasis.

Then what about your political clout? I asked him.

'That is for safety, sir, safety', he laughed. Then asked me as to what do I do for a living.

As a matter of fact, particularly in the recent past, even I haven't thought about such a serious question - what do I do for a living? I became pensive, thinking hard and long as to what do I actually do. He waited patiently, perhaps expecting me to say that the last time the Tsunami struck India, it was me who was readjusting the tactonic plates or some such thing big. After a long wait, I told him that I write.

He looked at me without any expression first. Then he gestured the act of writing on paper with his hand. Looking at me quizzically now, asked, 'you write?'.

I said 'yes'.

'I understand' he said. 'Some people do take a long time to learn to read and worse, to write'. Adding on a consoling tone, he further said, ' do you know that I never bothered? So what if I cannot read or write. I do make a decent living. Nothing to worry, sir, nothing to worry'.

It was my turn to go further blank at his next question. 'So how much do you earn by writing?'

'Well, ok, that a few friends manage to read what I write and hopefully like it (for most of them choose not to say anything, perhaps for fear of hurting my fragile mind). It doesn't fetch anything, I tell you. I just get along by God's grace', I told him.

He shook his head in sympathy and asked me to pay only half the specified rent for the cottage.

I do not know whether writing pays or not. But I can tell you it can reduce your room rent by half. Have fun, write your heart out...