Even in this age of globalization, when the very framework of society is experiencing pronounced upheavals, the grim reality is that there is a lot of debate about the extent to which economic growth leads to the recognition of economic rights (such as an adequate standard of living). It is undeniable is that in the pursuit of economic growth, people who are defending their land, livelihood and resources have been facing brutal quelling by the state. Economic growth often comes at the expense of other rights, with governments justifying, tacitly sustaining, or even engineering human rights violations in the name of development and economic competitiveness. Due to wide-scale violation of human rights, like custodial deaths, extra-judicial killings and atrocities by the security forces in Kashmir in particular – crimes that embarrassed the European donors and tax-payers who poured in aid to prop up India’s limping state of economy, the Indian Government in 1993, was forced to set up the National Human Rights commission (NHRC) under threat with the possibility of withdrawal of economic aid by the west.Not only children but escalating caste-based violence against women is alarming. They are at very high risk of sexual violence, forced labour, slavery, trafficking and other human rights violations, including violations of the rights to food, water, sanitation, healthcare, education, adequate housing, and equal participation in political, economic and social life. And all too often abuses of their rights are committed with complete impunity. The recent rape and murder of two teenage girls in a village of Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh followed by many other human rights violation and violence against women in same State has raised question mark on ability of State Government in handling the law and order situation and has generated widespread wrath. These human rights violations bring more shame to State by double assault of caste-based and gender-based discrimination. This unfortunate incident reminds people about gang rape of a young woman in Delhi in Dec. 2012.
