The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday asked the Centre to issue suitable guidelines and advisories to all the states and UTs emphasizing to implement coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown guidelines in a sensible manner.
According to an official statement, "The NHRC has asked the Centre, through the Union Home Ministry, to issue suitable guidelines/advisory/Standard Operating Procedure to all the States and UTs emphasizing that while implementing Corona lockdown guidelines, the public servants, including police personnel, should behave in a sensible manner with the people, particularly belonging to vulnerable sections, respecting human rights relating to their life, liberty and dignity."
This move came after a human rights activist alleged that in order to effectively implement the lockdown guidelines, the public servants, including the police personnel, across the country, sometimes under tremendous pressure, tend to deal with the people, especially the ill-informed poor labourers, in a very harsh manner undermining their rights.
Issuing the directions, the NHRC appreciates that the government agencies are sincerely working to deal with the unprecedented situation. However, it found it appropriate to bring the issues raised by the complainant to the notice of the Centre and send the same to it through the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Allegedly, those who are illiterate and less informed mainly the poor labourers and daily wages workers etc, are facing extreme difficulties due to shortage of food and other facilities for themselves and their families, the NHRC added. They can be asked to stay off the streets with some degree of compassion without being cruel and abusive using excessive force, it added.
Recently, the Commission had also taken cognizance of a complaint raising the issue of an alleged violation of human rights of the people suffering from mental illness during the lockdown.
