Hindi - People's watch

would like to make it clear that there cannot be any other Institution more relevant today
for the actual protection and promotion of human rights in India than a body like NHRC
which however has outlived the Protection of Human Rights Act of 1993 and therefore
deserves a completely new, vibrant, powerful legislation to provide it the wherewithal to live
up to the General Observations of the ICC to the Paris Principles of June 2009. Therefore,
the criticisms contained in the book arise out of the passion of AiNNI to perform this role
and to ensure that India is able to hold its head high among other Nations within and
outside Asia. The challenges of an Institution moving from 400 complaints a year in 1993 to
400 complaints a day in 2010 is daunting to say the least and this calls for a complete
overhaul of the Institution, its composition as well as its staffing pattern to ensure its
independence, accessibility, effectiveness and accountability to the society. AiNNI humbly
therefore places this publication, hoping that this will lead to a process of major change in
the NHRC - A change is that is long overdue. Let not the reader mistake the criticisms
contained in this book which are perhaps hard to stomach, to wrongly point out that they
are targeted at individuals. On the contrary, they are pointed to make sure the Government
and the Parliamentarians of this country come to the rescue of the NHRC and provide it a
complete overhaul to live up to the human rights challenges of India in 2011.
I hope this will also lead to many more reports by collectives of Civil Society Organisations
and AiNNI members in the different States about the performance and establishment of
State Human Rights Institutions in India in the different States.
Henri Tiphagne
National Coordinator - AiNNI
and
Executive Director, People’s Watch