21st March is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Ranjan K Baruah
Young people are power houses for many things. It is said that youth power means nations power or power for the entire world if utilized in a positive way. Equality is important for the progress of humanity around the world. Human rights and equality are must if we want to achieve global goals. The United Nations General Assembly reiterates that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and have the potential to contribute constructively to the development and well-being of their societies. The UN also emphasized that any doctrine of racial superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous and must be rejected, together with theories that attempt to determine the existence of separate human races.
We are aware how racial discrimination is a dangerous threat for many. Racial discrimination was more common in the past but it has not ended completely from the world . The United Nations has been concerned with this issue since its foundation and the prohibition of racial discrimination is enshrined in all core international human rights instruments. It places obligations on States and tasks them with eradicating discrimination in the public and private spheres. The principle of equality also requires States to adopt special measures to eliminate conditions that cause or help to perpetuate racial discrimination.
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960. In 1979, the UN General Assembly adopted a programme of activities to be undertaken during the second half of the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.
(To be contd)