BIS 466: Human Rights And Resistance

Throughout the past seven weeks of BIS 466: Human Rights and Resistance, instructed by Dr. Alka Kurian, there has been a constant reoccurring theme of human rights violations. Incorporated throughout all provided course materials was the variation of these human rights violations upon citizens. Human Rights, are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible (United Nations). The people of South East Asia are very commonly faced with the indignity of these Human Rights violations. Particularly

Despite the lack of power these vulnerable individual possess, for each situation of violations, they were able to effectively challenge their oppression.

The first substantial piece of evidence presenting the indignity of such Human Rights violations can be seen in the article, Violence and Humanity: Or, Vulnerability as Political Subjectivity by Anupama Rao. Discussed in this article is the Khairlanji massacre that took place in the village of Khairlanji, Bhandara district on September 29th, 2006. Several articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were violated in these events including: article two prohibiting any discrimination; article three specifying everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person; article five specifying that, “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” (humanrights.com). The Dalit family killed consisted of Surekha Bhotmange, a 44 year old mother, teenage daughter Priyanka , and two male brothers, Roshan and Sudhir, ages 19 and 21. This family was doing nothing to revolt against the government or create any trouble,

Although born as a male, around the time of puberty, it is impossible for these men to disguise the fact that their soul is meant to be female (Pamment pg. 30). Continuing forward, these Hijra’s will be challenged with societal judgments and discrimination. Beginning with one’s family, if a male exhibits feminine tendencies, his parents will customarily kick him out of their house due to societal conclusions. In society, these individuals are neither men nor women but, are still considered to be less than a man but more than a woman, because they are unable to reproduce (Pamment pg. 30). The hardest hitting effect of enduring such discrimination falls upon the social stigmatization and economic pressures making it extremely difficult to find sustainable work. It is common for Hijra’s to perform spiritual blessings and performances to earn a little money, but not nearly enough to live off. The practice of performing sexual acts of prostitution to make a living is typically one’s last resort. The British colonial government discovered revenue being made by Hijra’s and made law to prohibit. Under the 1860 penal code, homosexual relations were ban (Clause 377) and declared all “obscene acts and songs” a crime