ASSIGNMENT

DRIVE FALL 2013

PROGRAM BAJM SEMESTER 6
BJ0063 HUMAN RIGHTS AND MEDIA

CONTACT ME TO GET FULLY SOLVED SMU

ASSIGNMENTS/PROJECT/SYNOPSIS/EXAM GUIDE PAPER
Email Id: mrinal833@gmail.com
Contact no- 9706665251/9706665232/
www.smuassignmentandproject.com
COST= 100 RS PER SUBJECT

Q.No 1 what is the theoretical foundation of human rights? Discuss.

Answer:
Though there are many presumed foundations that actually compete to be the base of the concept of
universal human rights, we need to acknowledge all of them as they give us different perspectives about
the various aspects that are protected by human rights. When we look at it from a larger point of view,
each of these aspects does have its own strengths as well as weaknesses which face a lot of difficulties
due to relativism and utilitarianism.
Many human rights scholars claim that the very existence of human rights is to protect the dignity of
human life. They declare that the inherent dignity of the human person is the point from which human
rights originate and flows and they do insist that the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights also
represents this goal. Very strong views are expressed, most frequently by people with liberal thoughts in
the west, which insist that human rights should continue towards the promotion and protection of human
dignity. In the words of Jack
Donnelly, we have human rights not to the requisites for health but to those things needed for a life of
dignity, for a life worthy of a human being, a life that cannot be enjoyed without these rights. Though this

view is held by most people and this is a very frequently invoked definition in the rhetoric of human
rights.
Since most societies see humans as above the other animals just because we have the capacity to
improve the quality of our life, this concept of promoting human dignity has gained an universal appeal in
todays world.
The approach of promoting universal moral standards based on promotion of human dignity might not be
very stable as identification of the nature of this dignity would pose a problem. This is revealed, though
unintentionally, by Donnelly when he says Human rights represent a social choice of a particular moral
vision of human potentiality, which rests on a particular substantive account of the minimum
requirements of a life of dignity while elaborating on the disadvantages of deliberate human action
resulting in the creation of human rights. When we think in terms of dignity it is mostly a matter of moral
choice and it is a very elastic concept which is why the conception of dignity becomes important. Though
freak assertions (like a dignified life includes 100 doting love slaves) might be generally rejected with
contempt, there might not be any conclusive agreement on the very core of dignity. So, disapproval might
not mean that a universal component of dignity has been agreed upon. Though everybody agrees that all
humans are equal, we find that Hindu, Confucian and roman catholic societies have a significant view on
social divisions. Here, dignity is usually achieved by filling a particular role in a graded set of vocations.
There should be some consensus about inherent dignity if human rights are to be universal standards and
if there is no commonality of vision, dignity as the ultimate goal of human rights has hardly any meaning.

2 Write a long note on Human Rights in British India.

Answer:
The various struggles for liberty and freedom were aimed at bringing about radical changes in the
functioning of various practices and formal bodies. The main purposes of these movements were to bring
about sweeping changes within existing systems to enhance the right of people. Most of the struggles for
freedom were to bring about democratic ways into the system and propagate the cause of human and civil
rights The main focus of the freedom movement was not only to free the country from a colonial rule but
also to bring about changes in civil and human rights so that the movement for independence got a
balanced support from the masses. All movements related to civil rights and human rights, in India, were

influenced heavily by western thinking and philosophy. And most such movements had very successful
beginnings in the country.
The civil rights movement in the colonial days was the intellectual product of nationalist ideas and had
the privilege of having nationalism as a strong, supporting force. But their present day standard-bearers
have to reckon, not with foreign rule, but with their own elected sovereign government as the other, the
latter having the advantage of using nationalist discourse against the civil rights activists, branding them
as subversive and anti-national. The civil libertarians movement was influenced by the Manga Carta, the
American Bill of Rights or the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and yet remains nationalists.
In the initial phase, the consciousness about the civil liberties was manifested in the demands for equal
opportunity in employment, freedom of the press and the abolition of racial discrimination in legal
proceedings. One of the many causes which led to the organization of the Indian National Congress in
1885 was the failure of Indians to get the Ilbert Bill passed in its original form, proposing to give Indian
magistrates the power to try British subjects in criminal cases. By the turn of the century, this
consciousness crystallized in a new generation with new thoughts and new ideas, impatient of its
dependent position and claiming its rights as free citizens of the British Empire. As the colonial State
regularly crushed human rights and civil autonomy of the people, the Indian National Movement
continually struggled to protect and sustain these values. In reality, bringing down British imperialism
was perceived by the leader of national movement as a prerequisite to the progress of India along the lines
of democracy and civil liberties. Here, people would have the power to defend their fundamental rights.
Obviously, the human rights that the people of India enjoy, in however restricted degree, is a legacy of our
national movement. The significance that was accorded to the subject of civil liberties and human rights
by our national movement can be effortlessly comprehended by the following statement of Mahatma
Gandhi in 1922:
We must make good the rights of free speech and free association. We must defend these elementary
rights with our lives. Liberty of speech means that it is unassailed even when the speech hurts, Liberty of
press can be said to be truly respected when the press can comment in the severest term upon and even
misrepresent matters. Freedom of association is truly respected when assemblies of people can discuss
even revolutionary projects.
In 1939, Gandhiji stated, Civil liberty consistent with the observance of non-violence is the first step
towards Swaraj. It is the foundation of freedom.
There is no room there for dilution or compromise. It is the water of life. I have never heard of water
being diluted.

3 Discuss the problem of child prostitution in India.

Answer:
In earlier times, children were thought to possess gentle feelings and were treated with tenderness,
compassion and kindness. Although their psychophysical needs were not met at that time as the
mechanics of child development were not known to people.
On the other hand, today on scientific grounds, it can be presumed that work is a direct fulfillment of
childs abilities and potentials. It also helps in the holistic development of a child. However, when work is
taken up for the fulfillment of some needs, it hampers the growth of the child to a large extent.
Prostitution is one of the oldest profession which is looked down upon.
Women who adopt this profession are not accepted by the society and are abhorred by them. Their life
style is miserable but worse sufferers of this exploitation are child prostitutes.
Today, a new business has come up and that is of kid porn. It consists of photos, videos and texts of
children in a sexual manner.
Child prostitution is categorized under child labour and raises a lot of ethical problems.
The practice of child prostitution is harmful to the health of children. It hampers their physical, mental,
emotional, social and psychological development. The mental trauma that a child prostitute cannot be
imagined. The child prostitutes become unsuitable for other works as they are uneducated and do not have
knowledge of any other work. Being involved in this profession, children become a part criminal world
and start associating with criminals and criminal activities as they fail to develop moral values due to their
profession. The Indian society has not just ignored the minor girls who are being forced into prostitution.
Thus, child prostitution is still exiting in our society in spite of strict laws.
Child prostitution has increased due to the increased demand for virgin prostitutes as there is a myth
associated with them that sex with them cures venereal diseases. It is important that our society at large
revolts against it so that this trade can be stopped. The government should provide more funds for their
rehabilitation and private charitable institutions should also contribute towards it. It should very strictly

punish those people who are found guilty of detaining children, majors and minors for prostitution. This
practice can only be stopped if our society and government join hands to fight this menace.

CONTACT ME TO GET FULLY SOLVED SMU

ASSIGNMENTS/PROJECT/SYNOPSIS/EXAM GUIDE PAPER
Email Id: mrinal833@gmail.com
Contact no- 9706665251/9706665232/
www.smuassignmentandproject.com
COST= 100 RS PER SUBJECT