ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 03

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 264

respecting the wishes and welfare of fellow beings, then there will be no difference between them and animals. Feelings to be humane is the only discriminator between animals and human beings. Human beings are born with their rights.
The questions arises 'If a man is born with certain rights, then from where and how the question of their suppression does come into being? History is full of the existence of people who are in power and those who are ruled for a long time. The concept of human rights came as a medium to restrict the use of free will of those in power. In the beginning their use was restricted to within the state/provincial boundaries but they were not applicable at international levels. Even within the state they restricted to officials in high position.
It took a long time to implement the concept of human rights to people of all caste/creeds and economic levels. 'Charter of liberty of 13th century (called pact between King (Magnacarta) and its advisors), 'Bill of rights of 1689 in USA, Declaration of non suppressible rights of the American revolution and the 'Declaration of human rights in the French revolution' are the early stages of establishing human rights. The French declaration 'Freedom of mankind to live, protection of his property and form suppression shows the development of the human rights movement."
At the international level, the beginning was made by England, France and Denmark in the form of passing 'Bill to end the slavery/banded labour' in 1833.2
Under the auspices of the League of Nations, the human rights movement got encouragement and support. Freedom of the individual of 'expression, forming associations/unions, practice their religion' accompanied by banning unsubstantiated arrest and search or seizure of property by the state were implemented. These were all negative or punitive implementations of human rights movements. Slowly and slowly the positive implementations of human rights also came into being e.g. protection against unemployment, posting /employing at positions of profit, minimum education, medical care etc were included as human rights. At the level of United Nation (UNO), formidable rules
1 Bharat mein mānavādhikar ki avadhārņa-Sudhā Rāni Srivastava, Pg11-16, Arjun Publishing House, 2003
2 ibid
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