Educate forces on human rights, SHRC tells CM

‘This will help them uphold rule of law with responsibility’

To prevent misuse of power by cops and armed forces in the state, Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Tuesday asked the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Director General of Police (DGP) K Rajendra to take measures for imbibing human rights education among the law enforcing agencies.   
In his three-page letter to CM and DGP, acting SHRC chairperson, RafiqFida, maintained that the yearning for zero-tolerance to human rights violations in the state can be achieved “when the law enforcing agencies are well acquainted and familiar with the concepts and implications of human rights.”
The communiqué by the SHRC head coincides with the fourth anniversary of 2010 unrest in which over 120 people mostly teenagers fell to the bullets of police and paramilitary CRPF.  
Earlier, SHRC had castigated the paramilitary CRPF and police for killing a youth, Bashir Ahmed Bhat of NawaKadal and Farhat Ahmad Dar of Naidkhai, Bandipora accusing them of violating the Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) “by using disproportionate force on protestors.”  “Dear Sir, I would like to draw your attention towards a genuine concern relating to human rights. It is the established fact that peace and tranquility is must for all round development of the state and for peace and tranquility. Rule of law is must to prevail and govern the overall functioning and structure of a civilized society,” the acting chairperson SHRC writes in his communiqué to CM and DGP.  
Elaborating, he writes; “As the police and security forces are responsible for enforcing rule of law in the state, there is always an urgent need and demand for imparting education, awareness and respect in the men with gun and uniform regarding expanding concepts of human rights.” 
“The law enforcing agencies must exhibit these values in their behavior while raising up a baton for a strike to deal with any situation not only relating to law and order problems but for crime and other policing and discharging their official duties as goes a worldwide phrase with great power, comes great responsibility,” the letter reads. 
“Therefore, a uniformed and armed person of any discipline force needs to maintain a balance between the power he/she is vested with and the responsibilities attached to his/her duties which are elaborated in detail in the books concerning the Rule of Law, because any imbalance or disrespect to these professional responsibilities will undoubtedly land the whole society in chaos and uncertainty,” it reads. 
“It is imperative for the Government and need of the hour to impart ideas and concepts in men with gun and uniform regarding the basic concepts of Human Rights to which these security personnel have mostly been seen alien particularly the lower rung ranks— who are more actively dealing with a situation on ground rather than the superior officers who are mostly engaged with administrative matters and issuance of orders and directions,” it goes on to add.
The SHRC recommended to government to impart the human rights courses to law enforcing agencies through the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). 
“The State Government can at the appropriate level tie-up with IGNOU and motivate the forces personnel to take up human rights courses offered by the university which will definitely help prevail peace in the State and life will become good,” the letter reads.