SHRC joins law colleges to celebrate Human Rights Day

‘Students must go to villages to understand injustice’

Ninety-eight per cent of people are still not aware of their rights. Spreading legal literacy as the objective, through students and the wider legal fraternity, ‘Access to justice on wheels’ was mooted, G. Vinod Kumar, dean, Faculty of Law, Osmania University, said.

As part of the initiative, the department, drawing students from several law colleges in the State, conducted awareness programmes from November 26, Constitution Day, to December 10, Human Rights Day, he said, presiding over the International Human Rights Day celebrations on Friday.

Attended by students of five law colleges, its faculties, retired and serving judges, the programme jointly organised by the State Human Rights Commission discussed ‘access to justice for all’.

‘Access to justice on wheels’ is simply to reach out to the masses through a two-wheeler, four-wheeler or even a bicycle, and to educate them about their rights.

According to former Andhra Pradesh High Court judge G. Yathirajulu, who shared examples and experiences from his long career, law students should visit villages to understand the amount of injustice being practised and to make them aware about their legal rights and the procedure to access justice.

“Discrimination through two-cup system at tea stalls and removing footwear around the village headman’s house is still being practised. And sweepers and cleaners are not even considered human beings,” he said, advising students to have first-hand learning of justice and injustices in villages.

Laudable initiative

For Chairman of State Human Rights Commission, Justice G. Chandraiah, it was first that the Commission along with students and the legal body came together to celebrate the day, and also in giving back to society through initiatives such as ‘Access to justice on wheels’. He congratulated the faculty and students for energising the programme and understanding the conceptions of human rights.

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