National Workshop on 'Human Rights and Duties' held during 10-12 May, 2014

The Department of Political Science, Dibrugarh University conducted a National Workshop from May 10 to May 12, 2014, on Human Rights and Duties. Eminent experts in the field of Human Rights, Prof. Sitharamam Kakarala, Senior Fellow and Lead Researcher, CSCS, Bengaluru and Visiting Professor, National Law University, New Delhi, Mr. Colin Gonsalves, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India, Founder Director of Human Rights Law Network, New Delhi and a PIL activist and Dr. Ruchira Goswami, Assistant Professor, The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, were invited as resource persons in the three day workshop. Dr. Ananda Bormudoi, of the Department of English, Dibrugarh University, presided over the inaugural session on May 10, 2014. Dr. Alpana Borgohain, Head of the Department and Chaiperson of the Organizing Committee of the workshop delivered the welcome address. She briefly introduced the theme, objective and the scope of the workshop. Thereafter, the chief guest, Prof. Sitharamam Kakarala formally inaugurated the Workshop. In his address, he highlighted the issues and challenges to be identified for developing human rights curriculum along with strategies for effective pedagogy in the subject with multiple perspectives and locale specific contexts. He laid down five trajectories for understanding the expanding framework of Human Rights, such as, modern constitutionalism, genesis of civil liberty movement, international Human Rights law, national human rights law and the emergence of the civil society. Prof Kakarala concluded his address with a note of appreciation for the appropriateness of the workshop theme and the efforts of the University. The Chairperson of the session, Dr. Bormudoi highlighted on the fundamental aspects of Human Rights with a poetic note, focusing on violations of human rights that happen to be an everyday affair. This was followed by the vote of thanks from Dr Dolly Phukon, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science. The technical sessions that followed from 10 to12 May, 2014 were designed to deliberate upon the various aspects of the Human Rights discourse, viz, Human Rights perspective: Viewing everyday life through the Human Rights lenses; Universal Human Rights in a diverse world: a southern (third world) perspective; Class perspective of Human Rights; Economic Rights and the present model of Development; Human Rights activism; An overview and development of Human Rights Laws: National and International Frameworks; Gender and Human Rights. The workshop also had a session where the participants from different background had the opportunity of sharing and understanding their perspectives. Day 3 of the workshop devoted an entire session for drafting a syllabus for the Human Rights to be introduced in Dibrugarh University as a part of the Post-Graduate Programme as an elective course. This session was chaired by Prof. Sitharamam Kakarala and the recommendations of the draft syllabus were laid on the basis of the deliberations and discussions. The workshop concluded with a Valedictory Session which was presided by Prof.Nikunjalata Dutta, Department of Political Science. The Valedictory Session concluded with a Vote of Thanks from Amrita Pritam Gogoi, Department of Political Science. The participants (65 in all) of the workshop included members of the academia from Dibrugarh University and from different Universities and Colleges of Assam and the Northeast, members of the Civil Society, members of the judicial fraternity and human rights activists and researchers.