Rights body asks Meghalaya govt to fight poverty

Shillong, Dec 12 (UNI) The Meghalaya People's Human Rights Council (MPHRC) asked the ruling Congress-led government in the state to address poverty with utmost urgency.

Briefing newsmen on the sidelines of international Human Rights Day, MPHRC Secretary General Dino D G Dympep said his Council is uniquely placed to raise the alarm about the most pressing human rights dilemmas and to highlight issues of continuing concern.

''The government must recognise poverty as denial of basic human rights and treat the elimination of poverty as a binding obligation,'' the MPHRC leader said.

Urging the government to come with the state Human Index report, Mr Dympep said the Council would insist Meghalaya government to fulfil their human rights obligations and to support the effective implementation of all human rights.

As suggested by this year's international Human Rights day observance, to fight poverty as ''a matter of obligation, not charity'', Mr Dympep said the Council would also conduct its own study to find out the factual figures people living below the poverty line in the state.

India have pledged to eradicate extreme poverty through the Millennium Development Goals, he said, adding that in the Millenium Declaration, India have resolved ''to create an environment - at the national and local levels alike - which is conducive to development and to the elimination of poverty''.

Earlier, the Council observed a two-minute silence in respect of those journalists all over the world who have lost their lives while defending the human rights gross-violation.

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