Know Your Rights: Know how one can submit complaint in case of human rights violation in India

India has been known to be a country which is quite heterogeneous in its social and cultural mix, yet stands united as a nation on the underlying principle of 'Unity in Diversity'.

The country has a secular fabric and a tolerant society which is empathetic towards one and all.

Hence the human rights of citizens are of paramount importance in promoting the ideas of equality, liberty and among all sections of the society. However, there have been major cases of Human rights violations in India which have left a reversible scar on the minds of people.

The human rights violations have been generally based on caste or religious discrimination. The weaker and marginalized sections have usually been the victims of the human rights violations. These groups are backward in nature and do not wield much power in the society. 

Issues related to excessive powers of the armed forces and the police is very common in India. The government gives them the power to protect the people of the society but some officers use their power to suppress the weaker sections of the society.

In order to strive for an ideal balance in the society, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) gives rights to these people so that they can live life comfortably.

So here is more on the National Human Rights Commission and how to file a complaint when your Human Rights are being violated - 

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India is an autonomous public body constituted on 12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance of 28 September 1993. If the alleged act is of national importance then NHRC will take suo motu action of its own.
State Human Rights Commission

Every state in India has got a State Human Rights Commission for protection of human rights in a particular State. If any person has a grievance that his or her human rights are being violated then he may approach the respective state commission where the alleged act has been committed.

Guidelines on how to file complaint with the NHRC

1. A complaint may be made to the Commission by the victim or by any other person on his behalf.

2. Complaint should be in writing, either in English or Hindi or in any other Language included in the eighth schedule of the Constitution. Only one set of complaint needs to be submitted to the Commission.

3. Complaint may be sent either by Post or Fax or even by email.

4. No fee is chargeable on such complaints.

5. The complaint shall disclose

i) Violation of human rights or abetment thereof or;

(ii) Negligence in the prevention of such violations, by a public servant.

6. The jurisdiction of the Commission is restricted to the violation of human rights alleged to have been committed within one year of the receipt of complaint by the Commission.

7. Documents, if any enclosed in support of the allegations in the complaint must be legible.

8. Name of the victim, his/ her age, sex, religion/ caste, State and District to which the incident relates, incident date etc. should invariably be mentioned in the complaint.

9. Please submit the complaint preferably in the format which is made available on the website of Human Rights Commissions which can be different for different states.

Modes of filing a complaint with NHRC 

Online Complaint with NHRC

First is the online Complain Registration. For this, You have to open the website of the National Human Right Commission and then go to complaints. Under complaints section, there is an option of complaint registration. By clicking that Online complain registration form will appear. Simply, fill the form and register it. 

Offline Complaint with NHRC

The second option is the offline complain. National human right commission provide an application form for complain on their website. Link for the offline form is provided here “https://nhrc.nic.in/nhrc.htm”. Just print the application form under complaints. Fill the form and submit it to NHRC within the prescribed period of time.

By post: National Human Rights Commission Manav Adhikar Bhawan Block-C, GPO Complex, INA, New Delhi – 110023

By fax: (011) 23386521