Concept of human rights has roots in religion'

Mangalore, November 24: The modern day concept of human rights has its roots in religious theology and it was only later that it was 'secularised', said Prof. SN Balagangadhara (Balu), Director, India Platform, Ghent University, Belgium.

He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the fourth international conference 'Rethinking Religion in India: Religion, Secularism and Law' at SDM Law College, Mangalore, on Saturday.

Prof. Balu said that although the human rights values have been defined rather recently through the Uinted Nations and other such forums and people, the base for such values has always been religious thelogy. “It was only recently that people decided to get rid of the word 'God' from there and secularise it”, he said.

He said that there is a need to rethink religion in India as people know India mostly through the framework and perspective provided by the west. “It is not the description of India or Indian culture. It is a description of the European experience of India”, he said. Prof. Balu also pointed out that humanity is indebted to centuries of Christian contribution in terms of development and science.

Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza, in his inaugural address said that religion has a major role to play in taking care of the moral, social and political crisis that India is suffering from today. He also said that religion answers questions and unsolved riddles of human existence and purpose of life.

Charly Poppe, First Secretary, Embassy of Belgium, and SL Bhoje Gowda, Member, Bar Council of India, Bangalore, also spoke.

Prof. S Prabhakar, Vice President, SDME Society, Ujire, and Dr. B K Ravindra, Principal, SDM Law College, Mangalore, were present besides others.

The conference is being jointly organized by SDM Law College, Mangalore, SDM Centre for Post Graduate Studies and Research in Law, Mangalore, Research Centre Vergelijkende Cultuurwetenschap, Ghent University, Belgium, Centre for the Study of Local Cultures and PGD of Law, Kuvempu University, Department of Study of Religions, University of Parbudice, Czech Republic, and the India Platform UGent, Ghent University, Belgium. Thevaledictory ceremony of the conference will be held on November 27.