Our focus should be to strengthen the organisational network throughout the country to take up issues of human rights systematically so that the NHRC take effective steps for providing redressal by bringing pressure on the government both at the State and at the National level.

Extrajudicial Killings: ... Staged encounters - the most brutal form of human rights violation - are increasingly becoming a part of administrative practice in various States. As it is, such killings of political adversaries with a view to controlling political movements was part of administrative policy in the State of Punjab and is widely prevalent in J&K, AP, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram etc.

Recently in Mumbai and UP this practice of eliminating alleged criminals without conformity to law has emerged as a major trend through some sort of uninformed social sanction. This obnoxious development has to be curbed. Attack on Minorities: There has been an increase in the attack on minorities and this time the target are the Christians. This we witnessed in the States of Gujarat, Orissa, MP. Minorities in a plural society like ours are citizens entitled to all freedoms including the rights to equality and equal protection of the laws. Our organisation should ensure that the minorities rights are protected.

Dalits and Tribals: The attacks on the Dalits and Tribals have been on the increase ... Tribals covered by Section V of the Constitution are suffering deprivation of their rights and habitats ... PUCL should take up these issues and fight for their rights ... (Source: The Human Rights Today, Autumn 1999)