Posted On: 2022-04-05 23:55:37
Every citizen of a governed country, rather every human being in this world has certain rights; rights that serve them, rights that protect humans especially the underprivileged from exploitation and rights that secure their living among others. These rights need to be protected. The law and justice play a vital role in protecting these human rights. 'Humanitarian Advocates' are the defenders that practise their expertise in this field while protecting the rights of the people.
Here are five of the most diligent, dedicated humanitarian advocates who thrived all their careers for human welfare.
1. Indira Jaisingis a diligent lawyer whohas fought for human rights all her career span till now. She is the founder of Lawyer Collective, an organisation that works for guarding and spreading awareness about human rights. The organisation was established in 1981 along with her husband.
Indira Jaising has played a vital role in the passage of the Domestic Violence Act of 2005. Her most recent honours include a big victory in Priya Pillai's case, in which the High Court decided that the state could not silence criticism. Jaising was also the first woman to be appointed as an Additional Solicitor General of India in 2009.
Jaising works tirelessly to protect the rights of women inparticular. She can take down just about anyone who threatens women's rights in India because of her gift of gab and her incredibly deep understanding of the law.
2. Karuna Nundy - Karuna Nundy is an advocate at the Supreme Court of India counsel who specialises in human rights litigation and has made important contributions to India's gender justice movement. Karuna Nundy was involved in the drafting of the Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2013.
She was instrumental in seeking justice for the victims of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
Her other major works include, the Supreme Court judgement scrapping Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, which posed as a restriction on freedom of speech. She has also engaged in a Reddit AMA to involve the general public in conversations regarding the Indian legal system since she is personally invested in the cause of protecting justice.
3. Meenakshi Lekhi
Meenakshi Lekhi is an Indian Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and a Supreme Court of India lawyer. She has been a part of the Drafting Committees for Bills like 'Women's Reservation Bill' and 'Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill', and has worked on domestic violence and family law disputes. She was the representative for the victim in the Shanti Mukund Hospital rape case, and also took up the case for the permanent commissioning of women in the Indian Armed Forces at the Supreme Court.
4. Colin Gonsalves
"The best way to learn about human rights work is to participate in the struggles and movements of ordinary people."- Colin Gonsalves
Colin Gonsalves is a designated lawyer of the Supreme Court of India. Mr. Gonsalves is the founder of the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), an Indian national network of public interest lawyers. His work has focused on securing rights for India’s most vulnerable people, such as bonded labourers, ethnic and religious minorities, refugees, slum dwellers, women and the poor
He has written, edited, and co-edited numerous articles and books on legal and human rights and related topics.
5. Vrinda Grover
Vrinda Grover is a lawyer, researcher, and human rights as well as women's rights activist based in New Delhi, India. She has contributed to the drafting of the 2013 Criminal Law Amendment to the law against sexual assault, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, and the Prevention of Torture Bill, 2010, a law for protection from Communal and Targeted Violence.
Grover has appeared for the victims in prominent cases such as the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, 1987 Hashimpura police killings and Soni Sori rape-torture case.
These advocates, like many others in our country, are dedicated to defending human rights. Humanitarian advocates are the torchbearers who bring hope to those who have been denied their rights.
Author: Anjali Patel
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