The title of this blog ‘Hamare Haq’ meaning ‘our rights’ comes from Hindi. The subtleties surrounding the word Haq are a myriad, yet it is suffice to understand that it is a strong, evocative word that talks about ‘right’ in the sincerest sense of a human right, rather than something hollow.
In the same way that women’s rights campaigns are often considered hyperbolic or over-sensitive, human rights campaigns are looked at with a sense of exasperation and apathetic derision. In other words, we do not want to know. This blog is an attempt at reminding people of the very famous Edmund Burke quote which features in almost every human rights related website or blog: ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’. The subtleties of this quotation are debated here, however its meaning and intent remain crucial. We stand by apathetically while people all over the world are tortured, raped, oppressed, suppressed, brainwashed, ignored, forgotten, and other verbs which I have probably missed out. Mainstream media appreciates the extreme depth of our apathy to these people and thus they choose not to report violations when it does not suit their interests. Some of the best reporting on human rights issues come through new media: blogs (both specifically dedicated to human rights and not) and twitter (especially currently whilst covering the Middle East protests). This blog will cover violations that occur in both the ‘developed’ and the ‘developing’ world. These markers are themselves troubling, however they are representative of how the world is perceived, usually in those countries considered ‘developed’.
Living in India gives me a unique opportunity to look at human rights and development issues first hand. I therefore endeavor to update this frequently, looking at human rights, development, cultural gaps and bridges and general current affairs.
Portions of this entry came from my original human rights blog on Nouse.co.uk
