A two day “Training program for Human Rights Defenders on various Human Rights Perspectives” was organised by Human Rights Advocacy and Research Foundation on 22nd and 23rd January 2016 at Conference Hall in ICSA, Egmore, Chennai – 600 008.
Totally 62 participants took part in this training program and most of them were lawyers, students (from Law College, Stella Maris, Madras University) and Human Rights Activists.
Subha. Then Pandian, Advocate, High Court of Madras (former convenor of CCJAT), welcomed the participants and spoke about the perspectives on Human Rights. In a separate session he trained how to “Filing complaints, follow up and monitoring Statutory Human Rights Commissions (NHRC,SHRC, SC/ST commission)”
Mr. B.Venugopal, Associate Professor, Department of Legal Studies, Madras University lectured on “Rights embedded in the Constitution of India and Directive Principles”.
- Irudhayaraj, Advocate, High Court of Madras lectured on “Understanding the Indian legal, judicial system and using the courts – Public Interest Litigation”
- Kumaresan, Editor-in Charge, Theekkathir spoke “Why Special Preventive Detention Laws (POTA, Goondas, etc.,) should be abolished” and “Challenges in ensuring Right to Dignified Life – Right to Work, Right to Land and Livelihood”
- Vijayashankar, Advocate, Co-Convenor, CCJAT trained the participants regarding “UN Conventions and declarations that protect human rights”
C.R. Malarvannan, Advocate, High Court of Madras lectured about “Prison facilities, Parole, Remission and Important Supreme Court judgements with regard to Prisoners Rights”
- Murugappan, Coordinator, SASY spoke on “Understanding the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act 2015 and how to enforce it” and “How to monitor human rights violations, do fact finding investigations, Micro research & documentation, Advocacy and Lobbying”
- Geetha, Advocate, High Court of Madras, trained the participants regarding “Enforcing your rights in Police Custody – arrest / detention, trial, etc., (IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act)”
At the end of every lecture there was a small question and answer session which made this training as an interactive programme.
The participants were more eager to take part in the future fact finding missions.
