|
Cultural Human Rights
India is a pluralistic and multi-cultural society where many faiths and belief systems regulate the life of individuals. India is not a Hindu society even
though Hinduism is the religion of the vast majority of the people. In this part of the globe many religious traditions, both indigenous and foreign, have
been established over the years. We have Buddhism, Sikhism, Bhakti cult, Sufi tradition as well as Islam and Christianity. Many religious gurus, law-givers,
social reformers and statesmen have come to guide and influence the life and culture of Indians. The Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Bhagvat Gita as well as
the Quran, the Bible, the Guru Bani, etc., have moulded the thinking pattern and consciousness of Indians. So also the Hindu caste system and the joint family
pattern have a decisive influence on the followers of other religions.
Cultural Human Rights India
Cultural Values and Human Rights
The struggle for human rights essentially reflects the concerns and requirements of modern human being whereas the cultural values operated in a traditional
context where many of the agencies which at present account for the violation of human rights norms were not known. Since human rights is basically a problem
between authority and the individual it is essential to examine the Indian understanding of the origin of authority.
Cultural Human Rights in India
In today's India, which remains divided over religious and communal differences, a fundamental duty of the human rights movement (this should include both
the non-governmental and governmental agencies) is to enter into a dialogue with various faith and sectarian movements. A continuous interaction and exchange
of ideas between the two would go a long way in dispelling many of the misgivings which ultimately result in violent and abnormal human behaviors. No
religion talks about intolerance and violence. The main emphasis of all religions is on the broader and brighter sides of human life like tolerance, co-
existence, brotherhood and fellow feeling, etc. These values need to be collectively
highlighted and inculcated.
Cultural Human Rights of India
At the negative level, attention should be on three areas: the place and position of women as conceived in
India's culture; the caste ideology and
untouchability and the evils of poverty, ignorance and illiteracy.
A culture of human rights cannot flourish in an unilateral way. One cannot have just rights and no
duties and responsibilities towards society. Similarly one
should not be expected to go on shouldering only the responsibilities of the burdens of society.
|