Weaker sections in India live in fear and insecurity'

Mangalore, September 25: Weaker sections of the society lived in fear and insecurity in India, as women, children and people of backward classes were always subjected to atrocities, said Alva's Educational Foundation chairman Dr M Mohan Alva.

Inaugurating the 'Samprathi 2012', a two-day national seminar on 'Human Rights Advocacy – An Avenue for Social Change', organised by Department of Social Work of St Aloysius College, in the city on Tuesday, he said that even those suffering from HIV/AIDS and leprosy are seen as pariahs in this society. Such atrocities and indiscrimination needs to be stopped, he said.

He said that awareness has to be created among individuals so that human beings could avail their rights such as right to life, health, education, food and constitutional rights. It is the duty of each individual to bring about equality in the society, he said.

Mr Alva lamented that even after 65 years of Independence, there were two very conflicting faces of India. On one side there are the affluent, while others lived in poverty, without a roof or a single proper meal per day.  The country has renowned scholars, while there are still those who did not have access to education, he said.

Urging people to work for the betterment of the society, he said, “We can bring a change in the society only if we make up our minds and work towards it. “Our struggle should be born out of passion, not out of burden. People should struggle to free our nation from this injustice and inequality”, he said.

Vice principal of St Aloysius College Fr Francis D'Almeida said that we needed to emphasise on human rights, not because they were inscribed in the UN Human Rights Declaration, but because they were basic to human beings.

In his presidential address, Rector of St Aloysius Institutions Fr Joseph Rodrigues said that it would be wrong to say that states granted rights to its citizens. They merely give in to their people's assertions and demands, he said.

Head of Department of Social Work Dr Loveena Lobo made the introductory remarks. Convenor of the seminar Roshan Monteiro welcomed the gathering. Student representative of MSW Linal David proposed a vote of thanks.