‘MNCs violating human rights’

Bhopal gas tragedy and illegal mining by Vedanta in Orissa are glaring examples of Multinational companies tearing apart human rights in India, National Human Rights Commission chairman KG Balakrishnan said on Wednesday. Addressing the 31st Bhimsen Sachar Memorial lecture Balakrishnan said "Multinational and Transnational companies easily violate human rights and never realise their social responsibility".

Citing NC Saxena report in Vedanta mining project Balakrishnan said that company took the rights of existence from tribes in the said mining site.

He said poor locals at the mining site were stripped off their basic right to live a healthy life.

"In the name of globalisation, cooperate companies expand their operations at the expense of human rights" he said. Balakrishnan said that thousands were killed in tragedy and still the perpetrators of the country's biggest disaster are at large.

Balakrishnan said the state governments should cap the corrupt practices of multinationals. Justice Arijit Pasayat also echoed the need of government machinery to protect and uphold human rights of its citizen.


(2010-12-1/hindustantimes.com)