- President Murmu addresses NHRC’s Human Rights Day celebrations in New Delhi
- Says universal human rights are inalienable and essential for a just, equitable society
- Highlights India’s historic role in shaping global human rights principles
- Stresses that protecting citizens’ dignity is a shared responsibility
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 10th Dec: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday presided over the Human Rights Day celebration organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), calling universal human rights “inalienable” and the foundation of a just, equitable and compassionate society.
Addressing delegates, the President said Human Rights Day serves as a reminder of the revolutionary global commitment made 77 years ago — that every human being is born free and equal in dignity and rights. She noted that India played a formative role in shaping the international human rights framework, inspired by freedom fighters who envisioned a world rooted in human dignity, equality and justice.
President Murmu stressed that human rights must reach every person, especially the “last mile,” in keeping with the philosophy of Antyodaya. She said every citizen must actively contribute to India’s journey toward building a Viksit Bharat by 2047, adding that development is meaningful only when it is truly inclusive.
She emphasised that the principles of human rights are embedded in the vision of the Constitution, promoting social democracy and ensuring the right to live without fear, learn without barriers, work without exploitation and age with dignity. India, she said, has always upheld the truth that “there is no peace without justice and no justice without peace.”
The President acknowledged the role of the NHRC, State Human Rights Commissions, the judiciary and civil society as vigilant guardians of constitutional values. She appreciated the NHRC’s suo motu interventions on issues affecting Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women and children, and noted the Commission’s recent focus on the rights of prison inmates.
Highlighting women’s safety and empowerment as key pillars of human rights, President Murmu welcomed NHRC’s conference on women’s safety in public places and workplaces, calling its conclusions crucial for shaping future policies.
She said the NHRC embodies the ideals of the Indian state, and that the government has been translating those ideals into action at an unprecedented scale. Over the past decade, she said, governance has shifted “from entitlement to empowerment and from charity to rights,” driven by massive expansions in access to clean water, electricity, cooking gas, healthcare, banking, education and sanitation.
The President also referenced recent labour reforms, including the implementation of four major Labour Codes, calling them transformative steps that will build a future-ready workforce and resilient industries.
Concluding her address, President Murmu urged every citizen to recognise that human rights protection is not the sole responsibility of governments or institutions. “Protecting the rights and dignity of our fellow citizens is a shared duty,” she said, calling on society at large to uphold compassion, responsibility and justice.
