RAIPUR: On Human Rights Day on Thursday, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) became accessible in yet another dialect — ‘Gondi’, spoken by about two million people in MP, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh.
For the first time, the world’s most translated document can now be read and understood in an indigenous language spoken by the sizeable population of tribals in southern districts of Chhattisgarh, where the local populace apparently remain largely unaware of their basic human rights as inhabitants of the worst Maoist-hit area of the country.
The rights activists, academicians, media, officials, victims of violence and surrendered Maoists who attended the first-ever seminar on human rights held on Thursday in Dantewada—the epicentre of Maoists activities, appreciated the initiative as the much-needed accomplishment.
The United Nation General Assembly adopted the UDHR in 1948.
“The UDHR is already available in over 500 languages and dialects across the world. We realised that the local population, who are at the centre of gravity during the ongoing virtual war against Maoists for the past three decades, must know their human rights. The UDHR has been published as a 14-page document in Gondi dialect for wider circulation”, said Abhishek Pallava, the Dantewada district police chief.
The Dantewada police besides having translated the UDHR into Gondi had also got its audio version prepared for its distribution as many among the tribal population are illiterate and can’t read and understand the power of words specified as their Human Rights.
“We have also given it out to every sarpanch of all panchayats, regional government officials and educational institutions to let the spirit of UDHR resonate strongly among the masses. We invited all stakeholders to the first-ever human rights seminar held in the left-wing extremist area, where the infringement upon the rights of victims and others often got reported”, Pallava added.
In the seminar, the key deliberations were on what constitutes human rights, how they get violated either by the police or the Maoists, besides the free, fair and timely trial be regarded as the rights of every person