Defining Human Rights, fighting for human rights, making a human being understand one’s rights, practical application of human rights, actually assessing the people living with ones rights of being human are all humongous issues related to human rights. There are about three hundred organisations working all over the world to ensure that human beings live their lives with respect and dignity.
Renu was twelve years old, when I first met her. A fair, round faced, good looking, healthy child, standing behind her grandmother, with beautiful deep black eyes wide open and a forceful effort to keep them stuck to ground. Renu had the privilege of being brought up like princess, though her grandmother and mother both were housemaids. She used to go to school…studied upto XII, did courses on beauty parlour. She wished to be independent in life and certainly not a house maid. Years passed by, grandmother expired, mother started having health problems and Renu had to start accompanying her mother to support her in her work. She was at the peak of her youth , eligible boys tried and proposed but Renu selected one. Though, she enjoyed love of her life, it never culminated to marriage. The boy’s parents got him married somewhere else. Slowly and slowly, Princess Renu started becoming a burden to the family. It was the power of her beauty and youth, Renu selected another admirer and settled for marriage. The husband was madly in love with Renu. He used to take care of everything about her life, but with one condition, she should not be in touch with anyone else, not even with her family members. Just to ensure that he would lock her from outside when he goes out for work. As it was all because of love, Renu also accepted that action of locking her from outside. In due course of time, the same action of love started bothering Renu, so much so that one day she eloped to her mother’s place by breaking the lock.
However, it took five years of her life and she was expecting her second child. Renu never wanted to go back to her husband, she wanted to be housemaid and looked after her kids on her own. She wanted some freedom even at the cost of her working as a maid. But her parents were too poor to look after the new born child and the mother, so they suggested her to go back to her husband, who might be rude at times but would certainly afford her expenses.
However, it took five years of her life and she was expecting her second child. Renu never wanted to go back to her husband, she wanted to be housemaid and looked after her kids on her own. She wanted some freedom even at the cost of her working as a maid. But her parents were too poor to look after the new born child and the mother, so they suggested her to go back to her husband, who might be rude at times but would certainly afford her expenses.
Renu had average education and skills, she married the man she loved and trusted. So long, we would assume, she lived like a human with all her rights and dignity. Her forceful confinement to a small room throughout the day, was the first instance of violation of human rights in her life. That too she compromised with as long as she could. She spoke out her sufferings, but of no use. She had to surrender to the same situation as money turned out to be a matter of big handicapped for everyone who wanted to help her, or whom she thought would have helped her.
This one Renu represents many more Renus from various strata’s of life, who have education, skills, but everyday their dignities were being violated by people around them, thus contributing to human rights being more and more endangered in women’s life.
Renu’s future would be revolving around her kids, having a locked door would not be her concern anymore, ..good if locked, safe for the kids..time will pass..kids will grow up..Renu will do her duties and wait for kids to settle down in their life. Looking back, she would feel it was a foolish decision to go back to her mother after marriage, and would teach her daughter how one needs to compromise in life to make things work.
It is happening since 1948, when the United Nations adopted and proclaimed Universal declaration of Human Rights. It took sixty five years for three hundred organisations to come up and make people understand one’s right. But the most crucial time is now, which needs a mass movement and grass root mobilization in large scale, so that Renu changes her attitude towards life and teaches her daughter to be a human first with all her respect and dignity. The successful celebration of human rights can’t go beyond hundred years.
Picture courtesy : wagggsworld.org
