Justice Suryakant urges stronger coordination between national and state human‑rights bodies

During the 33rd anniversary celebration of the National Human Rights Commission, Chief Justice of India Justice Suryakant highlighted the complementary roles of national and state human‑rights institutions. He argued that protecting constitutional rights demands a seamless partnership between the two levels.

The chief justice noted that while the NHRC can establish nationwide standards and bring attention to systemic patterns, state commissions excel at hearing grievances in regional languages, reaching remote communities and understanding local circumstances. “Rights are often realised not in the capital, but in far‑off villages, specific districts or even within families,” he said.

Justice Suryakant recounted the NHRC’s record: over 2.4 million complaints lodged and more than 2.3 million resolved, yielding a clearance rate above 98 %. He emphasized that these figures reflect a commitment to exposing serious violations such as torture, bonded labour, industrial diseases and the disenfranchisement of marginalised groups.

He called for courts to intervene when constitutional rights are breached, while human‑rights commissions should investigate complaints, pinpoint systemic gaps and ensure that overlooked concerns receive institutional focus. The chief justice also praised the commission’s recent water‑rights conference, which linked the right to safe drinking water with human dignity, describing water as “the elixir of life and a basic necessity for every child.”

In his closing remarks, Justice Suryakant urged that the NHRC continue to act not merely as an abstract guardian of rights but as a concrete force that delivers relief, enforces accountability and drives reforms that prevent future violations.