Most of us reading this are fortunate enough to not have to fight for our right to exist as we are. I hope that none of us ever have to either. But it is important to know when you or someone you know is being mistreated, and how remove oneself from distressing situations. There is a lot of negligence towards rights awareness due to illiteracy, overpopulation as well as a “nothing can happen to me” type of mindset that some people carry.
The problem:
The strenuous legal formalities and corruption rates in our country demotivate common people from speaking up when their rights are challenged. Apart from being unaware of these rights, a lot of people who belong to the weaker sections of society are silenced and made to believe that they cannot get help.
Due to this lack of awareness, and negligence, a large number of abuse cases get swept under the rug. A lot of unfair treatment is polished and made to seem like it’s not a big deal.
With our country having such a huge population it’s not easy to exercise rules and reach out to everybody but we definitely can do much more than this.
In order to move forward as a society, we must make sure that everyone knows that have the space and authority to raise questions against atrocities that happen to them irrespective of their things like their backgrounds, identities, etc. True equality will only be achieved when everyone knows that they are equal.
What can I do about it?
Be aware of news that is regularly being updated. This will keep us in the loop of what applies to us and what doesn’t in the eyes of the law.
Checking government websites
Using social media as a medium of rights awareness and getting the right factual information.
Awareness camps by legal professionals in rural areas.
Right neglection or lack of awareness:
Rights awareness is a vast topic but an important one. There are a lot of people in our society whose rights are undermined and neglected. Some rights to focus on are women’s rights, rights of the elderly, trans and queer rights, and children’s rights. The reason that one must be aware of these rights is that: a large percentage of criminal activities, like sexual harassment and assault, take place in areas that are in violation of these rights.
Rape can happen to anyone but a large part of it is towards women. For example, marital rape as in our society, it is believed to be a man’s right to touch his wife, regardless of her consent. In the cases of date rape and marital rape, the law still abides to married women and they have all the rights to speak up about it. It is very important that everyone knows about these.
The elderly have many benefits by law and it is only right they know about them so that they can protect themselves in case of abandonment by their families.
Transgender is a legally recognised gender according to The Rights of the Transgendered Persons Bill of 2014 and they have rights to equal opportunities like voting rights and employment, but are often shunned away from things like jobs due to the close mindedness of people. As per the transgender persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2019, discrimination against a transgender person, including unfair treatment or denial of service in relation to employment, education, healthcare, access to public goods and facilities, etc. is prohibited. Minimal awareness about the topic this forces them to beg on the streets and causes distress to them and their families.
Children being the most innocent and kind section of society have to protected from the evils of this world , it is absolutely for everyone to have a basic education up until the 10th grade but many poor families force their children to work or beg on the streets even when it falls under the offense of child labour.
Why does it still happen?
Now you might be asking yourselves, despite all of this being illegal why does it still happen? One reason is because the laws have not been enforced strictly enough, there is a lack of awareness of rights among people so they don’t realise when they are being mistreated. Kindness and sensitivity should be given to the underprivileged. This is why awareness of one’s rights have to be enforced at a larger scale and our mind sets towards the unfair treatment needs to be questioned.
Equality, Fair treatment, and an Accepting society is our goal and should always be part of our society’s attitude in order to enhance harmony.
Protesting:
What is a protest? To put it simply, a protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one
Protest is an invaluable way to speak truth to power. Throughout history, protests have been the driving force behind some of the most powerful social movements, exposing injustice and abuse, demanding accountability and inspiring people to keep hoping for a better future.
Unfortunately, these rights are under attack and must be protected from those who are afraid of change and want to keep us divided. Global trends towards the militarization of police, the increase in the misuse of force by police at protests and shrinking civic space mean that it is becoming more difficult to stay safe while making your voice heard.
The ability to protest safely is an issue that intersects with the right to be free from discrimination. People who face inequality and discrimination, based on their age, race, gender identity and many other factors, face even more dangers to their right to protest. It is crucial that everyone can protest safely and without discrimination.
People may demonstrate, rally or protest for many reasons. Labour disputes. Protesters may call on businesses or politicians to improve wages or conditions. Social or political protests. Common topics around the world are taxes, war, human rights, equality and the environment. Political rallies. People may gather or march to support a political party or ideal. This can include groups that support ideals at the extreme end of the political spectrum.
When taking part in a protest, a person is exercising a variety of universally recognized human rights.
As well as the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, this includes other rights that are essential to enable peaceful protest, including the right to life, to freedom of association, to privacy, and to be free from arbitrary arrest and detention, and from torture and other ill-treatment or punishment.
Therefore, rather than being codified under a single law or treaty, the right to protest is protected under international human rights law by provisions enshrined in various international and regional treaties guaranteeing each of these distinct yet mutually reinforcing rights. Taken together, they provide protestors with comprehensive protection.
Well written!