Right to dignity and human rights: Tracing the values from Indian perspective

Abstract

The present paper intends to focus on correlation of human dignity with human rights in Indian philosophical perceptive. The philosophy of India as a nation and Hinduism as a major religion sets a platform for the origin of human dignity and human rights and their correlation. In Hinduism, the importance of human dignity is evident from the fact that human beings are introduced as Amritasya Putrah Vayam – meaning thereby, we are all begotten of the immortal. The understanding of human identity and dignity is more ethical-spiritual than material. Right from the Vedic times, an invisible Atman - the Soul; Paramaatman - the Divine whole and ‘Chetna’ - Universal oneness always find mention in Hindu classical thought. Lastly the ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the whole world as One Family – also becomes unique in this age of Globalizations. In present age what we are actually achieving is not Globalization, but Mc Donaldization. The paper is purely conceptual and only available literatures have been taken in updating the paper following the doctrinal method of study.