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Human rights organizations must be held accountable for their actions

In my article in the May issue of Pragati, I argue that allegations of evidence tampering against Teesta Setalvad  damage the cause of human rights and justice,

In a debate on the role of human rights organisations in these pages (‘Getting human rights right’, Pragati, No 15 | June 2008), Salil Tripathi, responding to frequent criticism of the human rights movement as “context insensitive” had argued that such organisations “must remain unreasonable” otherwise “the moral sharpness of their message…is lost.” It might be reasonable and indeed necessary to emphasise human rights. It could also persuasively be argued that India needs more human rights activism. Yet the pursuit of a single goal disregarding all else, including concern for due process and fairness, is fraught with danger. For it relies too much on inherent moral standing of those who have attached themselves to the cause of human rights virtually assuming that they are guided by no other consideration save for a deep belief in their cause. It is particularly worrisome because their message is ostensibly guided by a sense of moral uprightness—a claim human rights activists are quick to make and underlies their basic advantage vis-à-vis the state. And because the message is so inextricably linked with the credibility of the messenger, even the slightest blemish damages the worthy cause of human rights. Ms Setalvad’s alleged improper behaviour falls squarely in this bracket as it strengthens of the hands of her detractors, who, suspicious of Ms Setalvad and her ilk, become dismissive of human rights itself. [link]

Download the May issue to read it in full.

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