GUWAHATI: The State Human Rights Commission made an impassioned appeal to the people of Assam, urging them to come forward and register cases with the commission without any hesitation.
Compared to other states in the country, Assam has witnessed a relatively lower number of registered human rights cases.
Over the past four years, the statistics are as follows: 310 cases in 2019-20, 304 cases in 2020-21, 275 cases in 2021-22, and 270 cases in 2022-23. In the current year, however, the commission has registered the highest number of suo moto cases in the state.
The suo moto cases include issues such as the use of formalin in fish, the use of substandard iron in construction works, and the suspected death of Sub Inspector Junmoni Rabha, among 20 others.
However, despite their efforts, there are still 320 pending cases that remain to be disposed of by the commission.
Among these cases, a significant portion pertains to human rights violations within police stations and medical facilities, with cases against the police accounting for the highest proportion.
To address this situation, an official at the press meet disclosed that teams of commission officials will soon be dispatched to these locations to conduct thorough investigations and take necessary actions.
Addressing the press here in Guwahati on Friday, the commission representatives emphasised that there is a common misconception among the public that complaints can only be filed in English.
However, they clarified that cases can be lodged in Assamese as well, ensuring accessibility to justice for all.
The commission clarified that it will only entertain cases that have occurred within the past year, as per their mandate.
Additionally, the commission plans to visit various educational institutions to raise awareness about human rights issues among the students.
